This information is for people who are:
50 years or older
Know the
relationship between
age
and COVID-19
COVID-19 spreads fast. In some people it can start with mild symptoms and quickly progress to more severe disease.
What is COVID-19?
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If you are infected with the virus, you will most likely experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.1
Most people can expect to get better without needing special treatment, but some people can become very sick and require medical attention.1
Are you at increased risk?
3 in 5 (60%)
adults in the United States
have a chronic disease2
The older you are, the greater the chance of having at least one medical condition that can put you at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.3
The likelihood of having one or more such medical conditions increases by3:
10%
for people up to and including age 25 years
33%
for people up to and including age 50 years
66%
for people up to and including age 70 years
You are more likely to develop serious illness from COVID-19 if you have a condition or risk factor like4:
Age
50 years or older
Age
Immuno-
compromised
condition
Weakened
immune system
Immunocompromised condition
Cancer
Current or past
Cancer
Lung disease
Such as asthma
(moderate
to severe)
Lung disease
Overweight
or obese
Body Mass Index
(BMI) >25
Overweight or obese
Racial,
ethnic, and
socioeconomic
disparities
Demographics and health equity
Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities
Heart conditions
Heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies
Heart conditions
Diabetes
Type 1 or Type 2
Diabetes
This list does not include all possible conditions.
If you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer and you get COVID-19, you are more likely to4-8:
Get very sick
Be hospitalized
Need a machine to help you breathe
Need intensive care
Die
The number of high-risk medical conditions you have increases your risk of death from COVID-194,7:
Number of high-risk
medical conditions7
Risk of death7
0
1x
1
1.5x
2-5
2.6x
6-10
3.3x
10+
3.8x
the risk of death
COVID-19 and
age
If you are 50 or older, your risk of getting severely sick from COVID-19
is increased, and your risk is increased substantially if you are 65 or older.7
The risk of dying from COVID-19 is also very high.9
On December 5, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed age-related guidance for those at increased
risk for progression to severe COVID-19 from 65+ to 50+.10
Age is the strongest risk factor for progressing to severe COVID-19.7
Compared with people ages 18 to 29 years old, the risk of dying from COVID-19 is7:
~25x greater
if you are
50 to 64 years old
50
years old
~60x greater
if you are
65 to 74 years old
65
years old
~140x greater
if you are
75 to 84 years old
75
years old
~340x greater
if you are
85 years of age or older
85
years old
If you think you have been infected with
COVID-19, remember to ACT fast.
Assess for COVID-19 symptoms and your risk factors like age
If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you may start having symptoms 2 to 14 days after exposure.11 COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to other infections, like the flu.12
If you have flu-like symptoms, it may be COVID-19.12
Symptoms of COVID-19 can look like13:
Muscle or
body aches
Shortness of
breath or difficulty
breathing
Congestion or
runny nose
Cough
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Fever or chills
Headache
Nausea or
vomiting
New loss of smell
and/or taste
Sore throat
Confirm that you have COVID-19 with your healthcare professional
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, talk to your healthcare professional right away.
If you do not have symptoms but think you've been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least 5 full days after exposure and then test for COVID-19 infection.14
If you have COVID-19, do not delay. Even if your symptoms are mild, treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective. 15
If you find it hard to breathe, get immediate medical attention. 16
Talk to your healthcare professional about treatment options
Treatment options for COVID-19 can be discussed to see if one is right for you.15
These treatments must be taken within days if you begin having symptoms.15
This is why it is so important to contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible.15
References
- World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/health-
topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic diseases in America. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/
resources/ infographic/chronic-diseases.htm - Clark A, Jit M, Warren-Gash C, et al. How many are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease? Rapid global, regional and national estimates for 2020. Posted April 22, 2020. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://
doi.org/10.1101/ 2020.04.18.20064774 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with certain medical conditions. Updated September 2, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical- conditions.html#:~:text =Older %20adults%20are%20at%20 highest,18%2D29%20years - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics of COVID-19. Updated November 4, 2021. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/ 2019-ncov/ your-health/ about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Risk factors and risk groups. Updated January 21, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/
en/covid-19/ latest-evidence/risk-factors-risk-groups - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals. Updated June 15, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/ 2019-ncov/hcp/clinicalcare/ underlyingconditions.html - Gao YD, Ding M, Dong X, et al. Risk factors for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients: a review. Allergy. 2021;76(2):428-455. doi:10.1111/all.14657
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death by age group. Updated November 8, 2022. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/ investigations-discovery/hospitalization-deathby-age.html - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim clinical considerations for COVID-19 treatment in outpatients. Updated December 5, 2022. Accessed December 16, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/outpatient-
treatment-overview.html - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Demographic Trends of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US reported to CDC. Updated February 16, 2023. Accessed February 16, 2023. https://covid.cdc.gov/
covid-data-tracker/ #demographics - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarities and differences between flu and COVID-19. Reviewed September 28, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://
www.cdc.gov/flu/ symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of COVID-19. Updated August 11, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ symptoms-testing/symptoms.html - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19. Updated August 24, 2022. Accessed October 31, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 treatments and medications. Updated August 5, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://
www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/ your-health/treatments-for-severe- illness.html - World Health Organization. COVID-19: symptoms and severity. Updated April 18, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/
emergencies/ covid-19/information/ asymptomatic-covid-19