COVID-19 in the elderly people and advances in vaccination approaches
Kuldeep Dhama, Shailesh Kumar Patel, Senthilkumar Natesan, Kranti Vora, Mohd. Iqbal Yatoo, Ruchi Tiwari, Shailendra K. Saxena, Karam Pal Singh, Rajendra Singh, Yashpal Singh Malik
Abstract
The rapid worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the newly emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in tens of millions of infections and over one million deaths. SARS-CoV-2 infection affects all age groups; however, those over 60 years old are affected more severely. Moreover, pre-existing co-morbidities result in higher COVID-19-associated mortality in the geriatric population. This article highlights the associated risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in older people and progress in developing COVID-19 vaccines, especially for efficient vaccination of the older population. There is also a summary of immunomodulatory and immunotherapeutic approaches to ameliorate the outcome of COVID-19 in older individuals.