Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say

Our pandemic lockdown is particularly hard on those who it most seeks to protect—vulnerable seniors

Due to pre-existing conditions and treatments, seniors with COVID-19 often don't present normal symptoms of infection.Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock

Older adults with COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP virus, have several “atypical” symptoms that complicate efforts to ensure they get timely and appropriate treatment, say physicians.

COVID-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough, and shortness of breath. But older adults—the age group most at risk of severe complications or death from this condition—may have none of these characteristics.