Key points for the prevention and treatment of the novel coronavirus pneumonia in the elderly

The population is commonly susceptible to the 2019 novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV), especially the elderly with comorbidities. Elderly patients infected with 2019-nCoV tend to have higher rates of severe illnesses and mortality. Immunoaging is an important cause of severe novel coronavirus pneumonia(NCP)in the elderly.Due to the combination of underlying diseases, elderly patients may exhibit a typical manifestations in clinical symptoms, supplementary examinations and pulmonary imaging, deserving particular attention. The general condition of the elderly should be considered during diagnosis and treatment. In addition to routine care and measures such as oxygen therapy, antiviral therapy and respiratory support, treatment of underlying disease, nutritional support, sputum expectoration, complication prevention and psychological support should also be considered for elderly patients. Based on literature review and expert panel discussion, we drafted the Key Points for the Prevention and Treatment of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in the elderly, aiming to provide help with the prevention and treatment of NCP and the reduction of harm to the elderly population. Key words: 2019 Novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV); Pneumonia; Prevention and treatment; The elderly