Are You at Higher Risk for Severe Illness?
Based on what we know now, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:
- People aged 65 years and older
- People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
- People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- People who have serious heart conditions
- People who are immunocompromised
- Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.
- People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
- People with diabetes
- People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
- People with liver disease
Here’s What You Can do to Help Protect Yourself
- Stay home if possible
- Wash your hands often
- Avoid close contact (6 feet, which is about two arm lengths) with people who are sick
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
- Avoid all cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
Call your healthcare professional if you are sick. For more information on steps you can take to protect yourself, see CDC’s How to Protect Yourself or visit cdc.gov/coronavirus.