Articles
COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
Lung problems
Heart disease, diabetes and obesity
Older age
Lung problems, including asthma
Heart disease
Diabetes and obesity
Cancer and certain blood disorders
Weakened immune system
Chronic kidney or liver disease
Down syndrome
Protect yourself; prevent unnecessary risk
What raises the risk of severe or critical COVID-19 illness?
Age raises the risk of serious COVID-19
Aging plus disease raises the risk of serious COVID-19
Asthma, COPD, other lung diseases raise risk of severe COVID-19
Cancer raises the risk of severe COVID-19
A COVID-19 vaccine can lower your risk of serious illness
Content
Age and COVID-19 risk
How age and health conditions affect COVID-19 risk
Lung diseases and COVID-19 risk
Cancer and COVID-19 risk
Other conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccines and serious illness
How else can you lower the risk of severe COVID-19?
Heart disease, diabetes and obesity
Older age
Lung problems, including asthma
Heart disease
Diabetes and obesity
Cancer and certain blood disorders
Weakened immune system
Chronic kidney or liver disease
Down syndrome
Protect yourself; prevent unnecessary risk
What raises the risk of severe or critical COVID-19 illness?
Age raises the risk of serious COVID-19
Aging plus disease raises the risk of serious COVID-19
Asthma, COPD, other lung diseases raise risk of severe COVID-19
Cancer raises the risk of severe COVID-19
A COVID-19 vaccine can lower your risk of serious illness
Content
Age and COVID-19 risk
How age and health conditions affect COVID-19 risk
Lung diseases and COVID-19 risk
Cancer and COVID-19 risk
Other conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccines and serious illness
How else can you lower the risk of severe COVID-19?
How age and health conditions affect COVID-19 risk
Serious COVID-19 illness is more likely for people who have other health issues.
Some common health conditions linked to aging are:
- Heart disease. Examples are heart failure or coronary artery disease.
- Diabetes. The risk is higher for both type 1 and type 2.
- Chronic lung diseases. This includes conditions that damage lung tissue.
- Overweight or obesity. The risk goes up with overweight or obesity measured by body mass index, also called BMI.
- Chronic kidney disease. This is especially true if you are on dialysis.
These conditions become more common as people age. But they can affect people of any age. The risk of serious COVID-19 illness is linked to having one or more underlying medical conditions.
