ABSTRACT
We conducted a retrospective observational study in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who received medical care in 688 COVID-19 ambulatory units and hospitals in Mexico City between 24 February 2020 and 24 December 2020, to study if the elderly seek medical care later than younger patients and their severity of symptoms at initial medical evaluation. Patients were categorized into 8 groups (<20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80 years). Symptoms at initial evaluation were classified according to a previously validated classification into respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms. Comparisons between time from symptom onset to medical care for every age category were done through variance analyses. Two logistic regression models were applied to determine the risk of presenting symptoms of severity according to age. 286020 patients were included (mean age: 42.8, SD: 16.8 years; 50.4% were women). Mean time from symptom onset to medical care was 4.04 (SD: 3.6) days and increased with older age categories (p<0.0001). The risk of presenting with symptoms of severity was greater with increasing age categories. In conclusion, COVID-19 patients with increasing ages tend to seek medical care later, with higher rates of symptoms of severity at initial presentation in both ambulatory units and hospitals.
Fuente: Epidemiology & Infection
