Fever/chills
Cough
Shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle/body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion/runny nose
Nausea/vomiting
Diarrhea
Who is NOT vulnerable to Covid-19 (unlikely to suffer serious illness or death)?
Those without an underlying health condition (risk of death is similar to risk due to seasonal influenza)
Anyone under age 19 and especially under age 9.
Who is especially vulnerable to Covid-19 (more likely to suffer serious illness or death relative to seasonal influenza)?
Older adults (in particular, those in frail health; see below)
Individuals with underlying health problems – i.e. serious health conditions, which are commonly referred to as ‘comorbidities’ (see below)
Comorbidities Presenting Definite Increase in Risk
Chronic kidney disease
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher)
Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
Sickle cell disease
Type 2 diabetes
Comorbidities Presenting Possible Risk
Asthma (moderate-to-severe)
Cerebrovascular disease
Cystic fibrosis
Hypertension or high blood pressure
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines
Neurologic conditions, such as dementia
Liver disease
Pregnancy
Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues)
Smoking
Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder)
Type 1 diabetes
Age and Covid-19
For children, the risk of dying from Covid-19 appears to be much less than that of dying from seasonal influenza and pneumonia U.K. and U.S. statistics show that the 0 to 19 age group’s share of Covid-19 deaths is very nearly zero. As experts have noted, a school age child is more likely to be hit by lightning than die of Covid-19 Fatalities for people less than 65 years old without underlying health conditions are remarkably uncommon. The Covid-19 death rate for people less than 45 is very nearly zero percent. The median age of Americans who have died from Covid-19 is 80. Up to half of all deaths in the U.S. and Europe have occurred in nursing homes and elder care facilities. One analysis indicated 40 percent of Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. prior to June occurred in nursing homes. At least 2 states, New York and California, have required nursing homes to accept Covid-positive patients. New York has a higher Covid-19 death rate (per million population) than any nation or comparable region in the world. In terms of age, risk occurs for those over age 50, and becomes truly risky for those over age 70, very likely due to increased comorbidities that naturally occur with age. Risk rises with age, as ...