Which groups of people are at increased risks of severe illness from COVID-19?
Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. People of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are also at increased risk for severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Do young healthy adults need to worry about COVID-19?
Yes, they do. Although the risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19 increases steadily with age, younger people can get sick enough from the disease to require hospitalization. And certain underlying medical conditions may increase the risk of serious COVID-19 for individuals of any age.
Who is most at risk for the coronavirus disease?
Older adults are at highest risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. More than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65. The number of deaths among people over age 65 is 97 times higher than the number of deaths among people ages 18-29 years.
Who among others should be kept safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US?
Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days.
Can young people get COVID-19?
Yes. Though they are less likely to be hospitalized because of COVID-19 or to die from it, people in their 20s, 30s and 40s can catch the virus, and some develop severe and lasting symptoms, particularly if they are living with obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension).
Are healthy young and middle-aged adults at risk of dying from COVID-19?
COVID-19 also has led to serious illness and even death in younger and middle-aged adults who are otherwise healthy. While most children have mild or no symptoms, some have gotten severely ill. As with adults, even if children have no symptoms, they can spread the virus to others.
Does age increase the risk for serious illness from COVID-19?
Your chances of getting seriously sick with COVID-19 go up with your age. Someone who's in their 50s is at higher risk than someone in their 40s, and so on. The highest risk is in people 85 and older.
Are smokers more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19?
Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases. A review of studies by public health experts convened by WHO on 29 April 2020 found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers.
Are people of a particular age vulnerable to coronavirus disease?
People of all ages can be infected by the COVID-19 virus.Older people and younger people can be infected by the COVID-19 virus. Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
What do I need to know to keep myself and others safe when I go to the grocery store during the COVID-19 pandemic?
There are steps you can take to help protect yourself, grocery store workers and other shoppers, such as wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, and using wipes on the handles of the shopping cart or basket.
Can you contract COVID-19 through sexual intercourse?
Although there is currently no evidence that the COVID-19 virus transmits through semen or vaginal fluids, it has been detected in the semen of people recovering from COVID-19. We would thus recommend avoiding any close contact, especially very intimate contact like unprotected sex, with someone with active COVID-19 to minimize the risk of transmission
Can I still have sex during the coronavirus pandemic?
If both of you are healthy and feeling well, are practicing social distancing and have had no known exposure to anyone with COVID-19, touching, hugging, kissing, and sex are more likely to be safe.