Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Apr 2022)
COVID-19 in Veterans: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Yu-Chuan Chuang,1 Hung-Wen Tsai,2 Shih-An Liu,3 Ming-Ju Wu,1 Po-Yu Liu4 1Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 2Medical Administration Department, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 3Center of Quality Management, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; 4Division of Infection, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, TaiwanCorrespondence: Po-Yu Liu, Division of Infection, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, No. 1650, Sec. 4, Taiwan Blvd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City, 407219, Taiwan, Tel +886 4 2359 2525, Email [email protected]: Veterans are a special population that has been largely ignored during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Veterans with COVID-19 not only suffered symptoms from the disease but also had a higher risk of further development of in-hospital complications involving multiple organs. This article aims to review the current literature on the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome in veterans who contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic, using papers published between January 1, 2020 and August 1, 2021. Forty published papers were considered relevant to this review study. The COVID-19 pandemic not only caused a burden on health-care facilities but also affected the veterans population. Veterans with COVID-19 not only suffered symptoms from the disease but also had a higher risk of further development of in-hospital complications involving multiple organs. The dismal outcome might be attributed to old age and multiple comorbidities among veterans. Symptoms that may be seen in veterans with COVID-19 are comparable to those in the general population with fever, cough, and dyspnea, the most commonly reported. There are several approaches, such as self-assessment tools and virtual or telephone triage strategies, that can initially provide adequate evaluation of the symptoms related to COVID-19 in veterans. Adequate risk stratification could be carried out using the VA COVID-19 (VACO) Index, which predicts the risk of 30-day all-cause mortality after COVID-19 infection. There are several COVID-19 specific treatments that have been given to veterans; however, none of them have been proven to reduce the overall mortality in veterans. The overall mortality rate among veterans showed a declining trend. However, veterans suffering from chronic COVID-19 are at risk of dependence on activities of daily living after recovering from the illness. In summary, veterans are a special population that requires more attention especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, veterans, pandemic
