What Increases Your Risk of Serious Illness?

Anyone can get COVID-19. But as with other respiratory infections, older adults and those with existing health conditions are more likely to become seriously ill. Groups at increased risk of needing to go to the hospital or dying from COVID-19 include:

❱❱ Adults who are 65 or older, though younger people are also at risk

❱❱ People with existing:

• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and possibly high blood pressure
  
• Lung disease (COPD, moderate to severe asthma)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney or liver disease
• Illnesses that lower the immune system’s ability to fight infection, for example people undergoing cancer treatments, or bone marrow or organ transplants (some medications can do this, too)

Other medical conditions might also increase your risk.