A modelling study has revealed that an estimated 1.7 billion people, 22 per cent of the world population, have an underlying health condition that may increase their risk of being critically ill if infected with COVID-19.
The authors explained that they focused on underlying chronic conditions and did not include other possible risk factors not yet included in all guidelines, such as ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation. “We hope our estimates will provide useful starting points for designing measures to protect those at increased risk of severe disease.
To help determine the degree of increased risk, Medical Xpress notes that the researchers provided separate estimates of the proportion of those with and underlying ailments, who would require hospitalisation if infected. “The share of the population at increased risk of severe COVID-19 is generally lower in Africa than elsewhere due to much younger country populations, but a much higher proportion of severe cases could be fatal in Africa than elsewhere,” he said.
“This risk varies from less than 1% of people under 20 to nearly 20% of those aged 70 or older, rising to more than 25% in males over 70.under 65, around twice the number of men as women would require hospitalisation.
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