Coronavirus Warning: Patients With Diabetes, Heart And Lung Disease Are At Higher Risk

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, said that people with chronic conditions are at greater risk from COVID-19 infection. The chronic conditions mentioned are diabetes, heart, and lung diseases. The report also mentioned, however, that more than one in five COVID-19 victims who ended up in intensive care did not have such medical issues.

Health professionals have observed the ratio of COVID-19 patients with such medical conditions being admitted to hospitals is greater than those that do not suffer from such conditions. According to the CDC report, initial data from 7,162 patients revealed that 37.6% suffer from one or more underlying health conditions.

A Revelation

While having breathing difficulties is one of the biggest reasons why many people go to the hospital, new data reveal underlying conditions that increase the likelihood of suffering from serious complications. Researchers found that 78% of people in intensive care suffer from at least one underlying medical issue like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic lung disease. A report published by Reuters on the findings of the CDC shows a breakdown of the ratio of patients suffering from such ailments.

According to its report, out of the COVID-19 patients receiving intensive care, 32% of them have diabetes, 29% have cardiovascular disease, and 21% have chronic lung disease. The report also revealed that 12% suffer from long-term kidney disease, while 9% have compromised immune systems.

The CDC also found that among patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 but not sick enough to warrant intensive care, 71% of them had at least one underlying health problem. On the other hand, only 27% among COVID-19 patients who did not need hospitalization suffer from one or more chronic medical problems.

No Guarantee

Despite the findings, the CDC says not having long-term health conditions is not a guarantee against the development of serious illness due to COVID-19. The report cited 22% of such patients who underwent intensive care treatment were not suffering from any underlying medical problems. Although the CDC report did mention, it is not known whether the severity of an underlying health condition can impact the development of a serious disease arising from COVID-19 infection.