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
Content
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
Other conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19
A COVID-19 vaccine can lower your risk of 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
Content
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
Other conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19
A COVID-19 vaccine can lower your risk of serious illness
How else can you lower the risk of severe COVID-19?
Age raises the risk of serious COVID-19
People age 65 and older and babies younger than 6 months have a higher than average risk of serious COVID-19 illness. Those age groups have the highest risk of needing hospital care for COVID-19.
Babies younger than 6 months aren't eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, which adds to their risk. For older people, the challenge is that the immune system is less able to clear out germs as people age. Also, as people age, medical conditions that raise the risk of severe COVID-19 are more likely. In the U.S. as of March 2024, about 76% of all deaths from COVID-19 have been among people age 65 and older.
