The risk of coronavirus does not depend on age: should young people be less susceptible to infection?
The World Health Organization is reporting a large number of COVID-19 cases around world. Yet scientists know very little about novel coronavirus, which has infected hundreds of thousands of people.
Preliminary reports warn that older adults are at highest risk of infection and serious complications. This is due to their weaker immune systems as well as existing health issues due to aging.
However, analysis of early cases around world shows that older adults may not be only ones vulnerable to COVID-19. Researchers have found that gender and chronic health problems, such as asthma and heart disease, can make young people more likely to get sick and die from disease.
Mike Ryan, director of emergencies at WHO, said that 10-15% of patients under age of 50 developed moderate to severe infections. “Young people are not invincible,” said another infectious disease panel expert.
In Italy, a quarter of COVID-19 cases are among people aged 19 to 50. Federal health authorities reported that in United States, which is now epicenter of pandemic, 29% of first patients were between ages of 20 and 44.
COVID-19 Risk and Other Health Issues - Chronic Illness Raises Coronavirus Infection Rates
In addition to age, people are more likely to get sick if they already have health problems. Records from China show that 40% of patients requiring intensive care had chronic health problems before contracting coronavirus.
In our country, patients with chronic lung diseases such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma have most severe cases and deaths. In Italy, heart disease is associated with a higher risk of death in people under 40.
He warns that people with more serious health problems are more likely to suffer serious complications or die from COVID-19. Among those who have died from coronavirus in Italy, nearly half had three or more underlying illnesses, local officials said.
Coronavirus could “harm” more people — more men than womenResearchers studying first cases of coronavirus infection around world found that more men died than women. Gender imbalance has also been reported during SARS and MERS outbreaks, both of which are caused by other types of coronaviruses.
In China, men account for over 50% of COVID-19 deaths. Other countries in Asia are also reporting more male patients dying from disease.
The same acute fears arise in Europe. In hard-hit Italy, new coronavirus has killed more men than women, while in UK most of first patients who needed emergency care were men.
Some health experts believe that men are at higher risk of complications or death from COVID-19 because they are more likely to smoke than women and smoke for longer periods of time, which can lead to various chronic diseases such as as problems with lungs and airways. (inflammation of bronchi, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.), smoking can also cause a number of hidden diseases such as high blood pressure and heart disease, thereby reducing body's "immunity and resistance" and making it more vulnerable to attack by coronavirus. .
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