Aging and Immunity in COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-18 pandemic severely affected people older than 65 years, especially those with age-related comorbidities, causing a disproportionate death burden in this age group. The reasons for this difference from other respiratory virus pandemics have been attributed to the aging-induced changes in the immune system, and their effects on the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia. In this brief review, I summarize some of the recent findings throwing light on the relationship between aging, immunity, and the severity of COVID-19.

Keywords

• aging
• sars
• covid-19
• comorbidity
• immunity
• immunosenescence