# A Case Report Highlighting the Significance of COVID-19 Unveiling Megaloblastic Anemia and Worsening Dementia in the Elderly

## TL;DR

This case report shows how the COVID-19 lockdown worsened an elderly woman's B12 deficiency, leading to anemia and dementia.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the link between lockdowns and nutritional deficiencies in the elderly.

## Key findings

- An elderly woman developed megaloblastic anemia due to B12 deficiency during the lockdown.
- Lockdowns may worsen nutritional health in the elderly by limiting access to essential nutrients.
- Early identification of at-risk individuals can prevent adverse outcomes.

## Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in substantial lifestyle changes with significant implications for nutritional health. Factors such as movement restrictions and disruptions in food supply chains led to the restricted availability of primary sources of essential micronutrients. To highlight this, we present the case of an elderly woman with an underlying subclinical cobalamin deficiency who developed symptomatic megaloblastic anemia, requiring hospital admission under lockdown conditions. This exemplifies how changes in diet during the COVID-19 lockdown have hastened the onset of B12 deficiency symptoms. Adverse outcomes can be avoided by identifying people at high risk of poor nutritional status and implementing policy initiatives that enhance their nutritional condition. This case report showed how important the B12 shortage was during the COVID-19 lockdown, especially for older people. They are more likely to be malnourished during COVID-19 for several reasons.