In an update posted on Dec. 23, the top infectious disease agency announced that it had amended its “living document” of conditions and disorders that lead to severe COVID to include Down syndrome. The CDC recommends speaking to your healthcare provider to “discuss your individual level of risk based on your condition, medical history, your treatment, and the level of transmission in your community,” if you or someone you care for is affected. The addition to the list comes after an October report, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, where researchers found that people with Down syndrome were 10 times more likely to die of severe COVID than patients without the disorder, including adjustments for other risk factors. At the time of the study’s publication, the authors of the report pointed out that those with the condition were “a group that is not currently strategically protected,” despite showing a fourfold increase in hospitalizations amongst them, CNN reports. “[Down syndrome] is associated with immune dysfunction, congenital heart failure, and pulmonary pathology and, given its prevalence, may be a relevant albeit unconfirmed risk factor for severe COVID-19,” the researchers concluded. For those affected by the update or with any concerns, the CDC recommends you contact your healthcare provider should any symptoms or issues arise, or after possible exposure to COVID-19. Read on to see which other conditions the agency considers high risk, and for more on what your symptoms could be telling you, consider The Earliest Signs You Have COVID, According to Johns Hopkins. Read the original article on Best Life. As a disease that causes dangerous inflammation, the CDC warns that any type of preexisting heart condition may put you at a higher risk of severe COVID-19. The agency says that heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and pulmonary hypertension are considered to be the most concerning ailments, specifically. And for an update on how to keep yourself safe, check out If You Don’t Have This in Your Home, You’re at Higher Risk for COVID. According to the CDC, obesity is a high-risk factor for severe COVID-19. Research has found that people who are considered obese—which is defined by the agency as someone with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher—have a higher likelihood of being hospitalized after they’ve been infected with the coronavirus than those who are not. And for more on safety guideline mistakes you could be making, check out If You’re Not Doing This, Your Mask Won’t Protect You, Study Says.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb People with type-2 diabetes have been considered among the highest risk for severe cases of COVID-19 since early in the pandemic, according to the CDC and medical experts around the world. In fact, a French study published in May highlighted the level of severity individuals with the condition face when infected with coronavirus, finding that 10 percent of patients with diabetes who were hospitalized for severe COVID-19 died within a week of being admitted. And for more regular COVID news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. The CDC may have adjusted its recommendations to broaden its guidance on how age plays into your risk of severe COVID-19, but the agency maintains that it is still very much a factor. “CDC now warns that among adults, risk increases steadily as you age, and it’s not just those over the age of 65 who are at increased risk for severe illness,” their site warns. And for more on what puts you at risk when it comes to the coronavirus, check out If You Have This Blood Type, You’re at a High Risk of Severe COVID.
