People with Certain Medical Conditions and COVID-19 Risk Factors

Overview

This information is for a general audience. Healthcare professionals should see Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19 for more detailed information.

If you have one or more of the conditions listed below, you are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 and be hospitalized, need intensive care, require a ventilator to breathe, and/or die.

Risk factors for getting very sick with COVID-19

• 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 among people ages 18-29 years.
• Your risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases as the number of your underlying medical conditions increases.
• Some people are at increased risk of getting very sick or dying from COVID-19 because of where they live or work, or because they can’t get health care. This includes many people from racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.

Specific information on children and teens

People of all ages, including children and teens, can get very sick from COVID-19, especially those with underlying medical conditions. This includes children and teens with:

• Medical complexity
• Genetic, neurologic, or metabolic conditions
• Congenital heart disease

Like adults, children and teens with obesity, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, or who are immunocompromised can also be at increased risk for getting very sick from COVID-19. Check out Stay Up to Date on COVID-19 Vaccines for more information on vaccinating your child.

Learn how CDC develops COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

Conditions that can increase risk

Having the following diseases, conditions, or behaviors can make you more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.

Cancer

Treatments for many types of cancer can weaken your body's ability to fight off disease.

Get more information:

• Cancer
• COVID-19: What People with Cancer Should Know – National Cancer Institute

Cerebrovascular disease

This includes stroke, which affects blood flow to the brain.

Get more information:

• Stroke

Chronic kidney disease (at any stage)

Get more information:

• Chronic Kidney Disease
• National Kidney Foundation: Kidney Disease and COVID-19

Chronic liver disease

This includes alcohol-related liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and cirrhosis (or scarring of the liver).

Get more information:

• Liver Disease
• American Liver Foundation: Your Liver and COVID-19

Chronic lung disease

Chronic lung disease can include:

• Asthma (moderate to severe)
• Bronchiectasis (thickening of the lungs' airways)
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (chronic lung disease affecting newborns)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis
• Damaged or scarred lung tissue (interstitial lung disease including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis)
• Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs)
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)

Get more information:

• COPD
• Asthma
• People with Moderate to Severe Asthma
• American Lung Association: Controlling Chronic Lung Diseases Amid COVID-19

Cystic fibrosis

With or without lung or other solid organ transplant (like kidney, liver, intestines, heart, and pancreas).

Get more information:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: CF and Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dementia or other neurological conditions

Get more information:

• Dementia

Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)

Get more information:

• Diabetes
• American Diabetes Association: How COVID-19 Impacts People with Diabetes

Disabilities

People with some types of disabilities may be more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 because of underlying medical conditions, living in congregate settings, or systemic health and social inequities, including:

• People with any type of disability that makes it more difficult to do certain activities or interact with the world around them, including people who need help with self-care or daily activities
• People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• People with cerebral palsy
• People with birth defects
• People with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• People with learning disabilities
• People with spinal cord injuries
• People with Down syndrome

Get more information:

• People with Disabilities

Heart conditions

This includes heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and possibly high blood pressure (hypertension).

Get more information:

• Heart Disease
• American Heart Association: COVID-19
• NHLBI Information and Resources on COVID-19

Hemoglobin blood disorders

Get more information:

• Sickle Cell Disease
• Thalassemia

HIV infection (human immunodeficiency virus)

Get more information:

• HIV Infection

Immunocompromised condition or weakened immune system

People who are immunocompromised or are taking medicines that weaken their immune system may not be protected even if they are up to date on their vaccines. Examples include:

• People who have cancer and are on chemotherapy
• People who have had a solid organ transplant and are taking medication to keep their transplant
• People who use some medicines for a long time, like corticosteroids
• Primary immunodeficiency

Talk with your healthcare provider about what additional precautions may be necessary. Additionally, people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may benefit from additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine. Because their immune response following COVID-19 vaccination may differ, specific guidance has been developed.

Get more information:

• Types of Primary Immune Deficiency Diseases
• Jeffrey Modell Foundation
• Immune Deficiency Foundation
• Primary Immunodeficiency (PI)

Mental health conditions

Mood disorders including depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Get more information:

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Shareable Resources on Coping with COVID-19
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Depression
• Mood Disorders

Overweight and obesity

Overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) of25 kg/m² or higher, but under 30 kg/m²), obesity (BMI is 30 kg/m² or higher, but under 40 kg/m²), or severe obesity (BMI is 40 kg/m² or higher). The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases sharply with higher BMI.

Get more information:

• Overweight and Obesity
• Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and COVID-19
• Obesity Action Coalition: COVID-19 and Obesity

Physical inactivity

Being physically active is important to being healthy. Get more information on physical activity and health, physical activity recommendations, how to become more active, and how to create activity-friendly communities:

• Physical Activity
• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition
• Move Your Way^®
• Strategies to Increase Physical Activity
• National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability – Building Healthy Inclusive Communities

Pregnancy

Get more information:

• Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People (for at least 42 days following end of pregnancy)

Smoking - current or former

It’s never too late to quit smoking. Quitting smoking improves your health, regardless of age or how long you have smoked.

You do not have to quit smoking alone. Find free resources to help you quit and stay quit.

Get more information:

• How to Quit Smoking
• Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

Get more information:

• Transplant Safety
• COVID-19 Resources for Transplant Community

Substance use disorders

Such as alcohol, opioid, or cocaine use disorder.

Get more information:

• Treatment of Substance Use Disorder
• Substance Use Disorder and Teens
• Drug Overdose

Tuberculosis (TB)

Get more information:

• About TB
• Public Health Emergencies