How Many Adults Are at Risk of Serious Illness If Infected with Coronavirus?

The article has interactive maps that allow you to see the number and percentage of people in a state who are at risk.

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/issue-brief/how-many-adults-are-at-risk-of-serious-illness-if-infected-with-coronavirus/

Wyatt Koma, Tricia Neuman , Gary Claxton, Matthew Rae , Jennifer Kates, and Josh Michaud
Published: Apr 23, 2020

As the number of people in the U.S. with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to grow, there is increasing concern for adults who have a higher risk of developing serious illness if they are infected. The majority of people who become infected are expected to be asymptomatic or recover without needing special treatment, according to the World Health Organization. However, based on the most current information made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older people and younger adults with serious medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, asthma and obesity have a greater risk of becoming severely ill if they get infected with coronavirus. CDC has issued specific guidance for people who fall into these categories.

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Key Findings

About four in ten adults (37.6%) ages 18 and older in the U.S. (92.6 million people) have a higher risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus, due to their older age (65 and older) or health condition (Figure 1; Table 1).

Just over half of those at higher risk of developing a serious illness are ages 65 and older (55.2% or 51.1 million adults); however, the remaining 41.4 million adults ages 18-64 are at risk due to an underlying medical condition.

The share of adults ages 18 and older who have a higher risk of developing a more serious illness varies across the country, ranging from 49.3 percent (West Virginia) to 30 percent (Utah).

In some of the states with the highest number of reported coronavirus cases thus far, the share of adults at high risk of serious illness if infected is relatively high: Louisiana and Florida (at 42.1 percent, each) and Michigan (41.2 percent).

An estimated 5.1 million adults who are at higher risk of getting a serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus are uninsured.


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