Down Syndrome Patients Are More Vulnerable to COVID 19!

COVID-19 is yet to vanish. It is still extremely active in many countries, causing huge numbers of deaths in just a few months. Many patients with health issues are at high risk of severe or even fatal disease. Especially down Syndrome patients

Now, according to a research in the United Kingdom, “We estimated a 4-fold increased risk for COVID-19–related hospitalization and a 10-fold increased risk for COVID-19–related death in persons with Down syndrome,” said the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Patients with diabetes, liver failure and hypertension health issues are considered to be at higher risk for coronavirus and this study proves that patients with Down syndrome are also at higher risk of coronavirus.

“Down syndrome features on neither the UK shielding list nor the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of groups at ‘increased risk,’” said the study. “However, it is associated with immune dysfunction, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary pathology and, given its prevalence, may be a relevant, albeit unconfirmed, risk factor for severe COVID-19.”

Risks to Down Syndrome Patients

Scientists say that individuals with Down syndrome get infected with the virus at the same rate. However many Down Syndrome patients are at higher risk for serious illness from coronavirus for a number of reasons. These include immune deficiency related to Down syndrome and higher frequency of co-occurring conditions such as advanced age, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, lung disease, and respiratory difficulties associated with higher risk for serious illness from coronavirus.

A new study on Down syndrome patients with COVID-19 warns that, “Particular attention should be paid to both the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in individuals with DS, as they are at higher risk of hospitalization indeed complications during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.”