COVID-19 poses a significant burden for people with certain medical conditions.¹
The presence of comorbidities increases the risk of severe complications from COVID-19, making vaccination a critical protective measure.²
What to know about COVID-19 & comorbidities
1.
Most US adults have a condition that puts them at greater risk of COVID.
75% of adults in the United States have an underlying condition - a group for which COVID-19 poses a significant clinical burden.³*
2.
Certain pre-existing conditions put people at risk for severe COVID outcomes.
Patients with pre-existing conditions are 2-4x more likely to develop severe COVID-19 illness versus those without any conditions.²
3.
In one study, 90% of COVID fatalities occurred in people with some comorbidities.
In a retrospective study of a US medical center, 90% of patients who died from COVID-19 had one or more comorbidities.⁴
75%
of US adults have an underlying condition that puts them at a higher risk for severe COVID.³
People with certain comorbidities make up
90%
of COVID fatalities.⁴
Medical conditions that put people at risk*
The CDC has linked these conditions to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes:⁵
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney diseases
- Chronic liver diseases
- Chronic lung diseases
- Cystic fibrosis
- Dementia and other neurological condition
- Diabetes (type 1&2)
- Disabilities (some types)
- Heart conditions
- HIV infection
- Immunocompromised condition or weakened immune system
- Mental health conditions (mood disorders, including depression, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders)
- Moderate to severe asthma
- Obesity
- Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
- Solid organ or blood stem cell transplantation
- Stroke or cerebrovascular disease
- Substance use disorders
- Tuberculosis
Comorbidities increase risk
Mortality in patients with multiple comorbid conditions was more than double that of those without multimorbidities (37.2% vs. 17.3%).6‡ The reference group were patients that were vaccinated with no comorbidities.
Risk comparison for vaccinated vs unvaccinated individuals with ≥3 comorbidities compared to vaccinated individuals with no comorbidities7†
Risk multiplier
50
40
30
20
10
0
Hospitalization
ICU Admission
Death
Outcomes
Vaccinated with 0 comorbidities
Vaccinated with ≥3 comorbidities
Unvaccinated with ≥3 comorbidities
Patients are 4-5x more likely to get vaccinated after a strong recommendation from their healthcare provider.⁸
Your recommendation can motivate adults to get a COVID-19 vaccination.⁸Get the guides
Learn more about how COVID-19 can impact your patients
Footnotes
* This list does not include all medical conditions that put a person at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Furthermore, the CDC's list is a living document, and conditions may be added or dropped from the list as new evidence becomes available. The conditions on this list are in alphabetical order, they are not in order of risk.
† In a cohort study of COVID-19 adult cases occurring during the Omicron wave in Quebec, Canada, from December 5, 2021 to January 9, 2022 (n = 245,956).
‡ In a large study of hospitalized people with COVID-19 in the UK.
References
- Centers for Disease Control, "Underlying Conditions and the Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19." Updated July 30, 2024. Accessed August 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/clinical-care/underlying-conditions.html
- Moghadas, S. et al., “The Impact of Vaccination on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreaks in the United States,” Clinical Infectious Diseases, Vol. 73(12), 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7929033/
- Ajufo, E. et al. “U.S. Population at Increased Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19,” American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Vol. 6, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7880833/
- Lyons, Z. et al., “Prevalence of Comorbidities and COVID-19 Vaccination Among COVID-19 Deaths,” Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Vol. 10, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10678628/
- Antinori, A, and M. Bausch-Jurken. “The Burden of COVID-19 in the Immunocompromised Patient: Implications for Vaccination and Needs for the Future,” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 228, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10401620/
- Russell, C. et al., “Comorbidities, Multimorbidity and COVID-19,” Nature Medicine, Vol. 29, 2023. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02156-9
- Simard M. et al. “Impact of Chronic Comorbidities on Hospitalization, Intensive Care Unit Admission and Death Among Adult Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Covid-19 Confirmed Cases During the Omicron Wave,” Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity, 2023. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/26335565231169567
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Chapter 6: Vaccine Administration.” Updated April 8, 2024. Accessed July 31, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-6-vaccine-administration.html
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