Functional dependency and COVID-19 in elderly patients with mild to moderate disease. Experience of tertiary geriatric hospital

Clinical course of COVID-19 may be associated with functional dependency of geriatric patients. Data from the records of patients admitted to the COVID-19 Geriatric Unit were gathered during three months, including background, clinical aspects, time to resolution of infection and functional status. Functionally dependent patients had higher rates of diabetes (p = 0.03) and stroke (p = 0.004), as well as longer time to resolution of infection (p < 0.001), but less respiratory COVID-19 symptoms (p = 0.007), compared to independent patients. Time to resolution of infection was longer in women (p = 0.01) and positively associated with WBC level (p < 0.01) and age (p < 0.001). An adjusted analysis which controlled these variables confirmed the significant effect of functional status on the time to resolution of infection (p = 0.015). Functionally dependent geriatric patients with mild to moderate infection had less respiratory COVID-19 symptoms but showed longer time to resolution of infection compared to independent. Assessment of functional status in the elderly population may contribute to decision making for care of geriatric inpatients with COVID-19.