Vulnerable populations of COVID-19 may include…
- older adults, with risk of adverse health effects increasing with age (especially in those over 60 years of age)
- Individuals with chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to: lung disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke and/or dementia
- Individuals who are immunocompromised, including those with an underlying medical condition (eg. cancer and autoimmune conditions) or those taking medications which lower immune system activity (eg. chemotherapy)
- Individuals living with obesity (BMI of 40 or more)
- Male gender
- Minority populations
Factors that increase risk
Inequities in the social determinants of health for racial and ethnic groups, including factors like poverty and access to healthcare, are interrelated and can affect many risks and outcomes related to health and quality-of-life. Some of the increased risks of developing COVID-19 in minority groups are:
- Discrimination: Discrimination exists in systems such as health care, housing, education, criminal justice, and finance. Racism, which falls under discrimination, can lead to chronic and toxic stress. This shapes social and economic factors that put some people from minority groups at an increased risk.
- Healthcare access and utilization: People from some racial and ethnic minority groups less likely to have health insurance. There are also other factors that can limit their healthcare access such as lack of transportation, childcare, or ability to take time off work. Communication and language barriers, cultural differences between patients and providers, and historical/current discrimination in healthcare systems represent further barriers to achieving adequate healthcare access for members of minority groups.
- Occupation: Many people from racial and ethnic minority groups have jobs in essential work settings such as healthcare facilities, farms, factories, grocery stores, and public transportation. There is a greater chance of exposure to COVID-19 in these individuals due to the nature of their jobs.
- Educational, income, and wealth gaps: Limited access to high-quality education can result in lower high school completion rates and lower college enrollment. This can lead to lower paying or less stable jobs in addition to having limited job options. With less flexibility, they may remain in jobs that put them at a higher risk of exposure COVID-19 as they are not financially stable.
- Housing: Some people from racial and ethnic minority groups live in crowded conditions that make it more difficult to follow prevention strategies. It is common in some cultures for family members from different generations to live in one household. The growing and disproportionate unemployment rates for some racial and ethnic minority groups during the pandemic may lead to greater risk of eviction and homelessness or sharing of housing.