COVID-19: Who's at higher risk of serious symptoms?
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?
Cancer and certain blood disorders
People who currently have cancer are at higher risk of developing more severe illness from COVID-19. This risk can vary, depending on the type of cancer and the kind of treatment you're receiving.
Sickle cell anemia is another condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms. This inherited disorder causes your red blood cells to become hard, sticky and shaped like the letter "C." These deformed red blood cells die early, so oxygen can't be transported around your body as well. It also causes painful blockages in small blood vessels.
Another inherited blood disorder, called thalassemia, might also make you more likely to have serious COVID-19 symptoms. In thalassemia, the body doesn't produce enough hemoglobin and this affects how well the red blood cells can carry oxygen.
