CDC Updates List of People at Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by André Sofair, MD, MPH, and William E. Chavey, MD, MS

The CDC has expanded its list of people who face increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

The agency now says that risk among adults increases steadily with age, noting that those aged 65 and older aren't the only ones at increased risk.

Additionally, consistent evidence indicates that the following conditions place a person at increased risk: chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, serious heart conditions (e.g., heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies), sickle cell disease, type 2 diabetes, and being immunocompromised after a solid organ transplant. The more of these conditions people have, the higher their risk is.

The CDC has also added conditions to the list of those that might increase a person's risk. These include moderate-to-severe asthma, high blood pressure, neurologic conditions (e.g., dementia), cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke), and pregnancy.

The agency also notes: "Children who are medically complex, who have neurologic, genetic, metabolic conditions, or who have congenital heart disease are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 than other children."