CDC: Patients with underlying conditions 12 times as likely to die from COVID-19

Editor's Note

Patients with underling conditions, such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, and diabetes were hospitalized six times as often and died 12 times as often from COVID-19 as those without underlying conditions, the Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC) reports.

Severe outcomes increased with age—the percentages of hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths were highest among those aged 70 years or more, regardless of underlying conditions, and the lowest rate was among those 19 years of age or less.

Among nearly 600,000 for whom the CDC had race and ethnicity information:

• 36% were White
• 33% were Hispanic
• 22% were Black
• 4% were Asian
• 1.3% were American Indian/Alaska Native.

As of May 30, a total of 1,761,503 US cases of COVID-19 and 103,700 associated deaths were reported to the CDC. Average daily reported cases and deaths are declining, but 7-day moving averages of daily incidence indicate ongoing community transmission.