Early in the pandemic, people of all ages, socioeconomic status, race, and BMI were at risk of severe COVID-19 infection and even death. However, as the years have progressed and many people have opted to get vaccinated against the virus, things have changed. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the majority of people who are now dying as a result of COVID-19 have two significant things in common.
Recently, the CDC released a study about COVID-19 and the people who were most likely to be killed by the virus.
They found that older adults, defined as those 65 and above, accounted for 63 percent of all COVID-related hospitalizations from January to August 2023.
Only 24 percent of those hospitalized were up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The group also had one more thing in common. The majority suffered from two or more underlying health conditions.
The older age group also accounted for 61 percent of intensive care unit admissions.
And unsurprisingly, the 65 and up age group accounted for 90 percent of COVID-related deaths.
According to the CDC, while death rates are down, an average of 155 people are dying of COVID-related deaths daily.
According to CDC data, only about 43 percent of adults aged 65 and older received the previous bivalent booster shot, which was available from September 2022 to May of this year.
Of those hospitalized, 16 percent had not received any COVID-19 vaccination at all.
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"Adults with increased risk for COVID-19–associated hospitalization, including all adults aged ≥65 years, should reduce their risk for severe COVID-19 by receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, adopting measures to reduce risk for contracting COVID-19, and seeking prompt outpatient antiviral treatment after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result," the researchers wrote.
