People who are immunocompromised were more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Immunocompromised patients represent 12 percent of adults hospitalized with COVID-19, according to CDC estimates, but only 3 percent of the population are considered immunocompromised.
“Once hospitalized, immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 had increased odds of ICU (intensive care unit) admission or in-hospital death, irrespective of vaccination status, compared with nonimmunocompromised patients,” the CDC study says.
Immunocompromising conditions, such as primary immunodeficiency and organ transplants, impair the body’s ability to fight infection. The good news is that vaccination offers significant protection for the immunocompromised – and those who are not. The trick is to stay out of the hospital in the first place.
“COVID-19 vaccination among immunocompromised persons is highly protective against COVID-19–associated hospitalization, leading to fewer hospitalized patients who are then admitted to the ICU or die in-hospital,” according to the CDC.
That immunocompromised people tend to be older impacted the findings. Older patients are more likely to have other conditions, such as lung disease, kidney disease and obesity, that worsen COVID-19 outcomes, the analysis said.
Visit the CDC’s website to stay up to date on guidance for immunocompromised. The patient advocacy organization, the Immune Deficiency Foundation, has offered regular webinars to give its members expert advice about COVID-19.
