Why COVID and flu hit older lungs harder: Aging tissue may bring on immune dysregulation

MedicalXpress | mars 27, 2026

Older adults are much more likely to become seriously ill from flu or COVID because aging lung cells can drive excessive immune responses, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco. The findings enhance the understanding of the inflammation that accompanies aging, explaining how an otherwise minor cough can sometimes send an elderly person to the hospital.