Falls as One of the Atypical Presentations of COVID-19 in Older Population

Abstract

Introduction: Studies revealed COVID-19 atypical symptoms such as falls, delirium, confusion, dizziness, unusual fatigue in older patients. Falls in the older population and their consequences are one of the leading causes of disability; they significantly reduce the quality of life and lead to loss of independence and impaired social functioning. The aim of this study is to present the possible correlation between COVID-19 and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, in particular the occurrence of fall-related injuries. Significance: This article highlights the importance of falls as one of the atypical symptoms of COVID-19 infection in older adults, which is not directly associated with infection and could be misinterpreted. Methods: The conducted meta-analysis is based on a review of the scientific literature available in English, French, Dutch, Polish in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, PEDro, GBL databases from December 1, 2019 to July 30, 2020, covering Clinical Trial, Randomized Controlled Trial, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Reviews and Case Reports. The following keywords were taken into account: fall, (hip/pertrochanteric/proximal femur) fracture, aged and COVID-19. Twenty-seven references were accepted for final analysis. Results: It was found that symptoms such as falls observed in the older adults can be associated with COVID-19 infection. Falls and slips are also the most common mechanism for hip fracture during the pandemic outbreak. Conclusions: According to authors of this study, atypical presentations of COVID-19 should be considered when screening and testing the people at increased risk due to their age. However, further prospective studies are urgently needed to investigate the possible correlation between COVID-19 and falls in older adults.