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Coronavirus: who should be cared for more? 0:49
(CNN) - We've heard that older adults and people with pre-existing health conditions are at increased risk if they catch the coronavirus. However, those terms can be quite general. Who do those words include? And why can more serious covid-19 diseases be faced?
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"According to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], some of the pre-existing [or underlying] conditions that may put you at higher risk are chronic lung disease and asthma, heart disease and cancer treatments," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent, during an episode of the podcast “Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction ”. Anyone with diabetes, kidney failure, or liver failure may also be at greater risk.
The job of the immune system is to protect us from diseases or other potentially harmful pathogens. And a strong system is needed to help prevent coronavirus infection.
"Think of it like that," suggested Dr. Gupta. “In your daily life, you are always fighting pathogens. Most of the time you don't even realize it. If you have a pre-existing condition, it is harder to fight a virus like this. You can develop a fever, shortness of breath, or cough more easily than someone who does not have an underlying disease. "
Is covid-19 similar to other diseases? 2:24Also, there are specific reasons why each disease produces its own vulnerabilities. Here is a guide to those pre-existing conditions that exacerbate coronavirus infection and the explanation, as well as how you can protect yourself or care for a loved one at risk.
Older adults
Eight out of every 10 coronavirus deaths reported in the United States have been in people 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Older adults are also more likely to require hospitalization and admission to an intensive care unit.
term which in turn can increase the risk of infection and serious disease. And our immune systems generally weaken with age, making it harder for older people to fight infections, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
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The quality of our lung tissue also declines over time, becoming more elastic and making respiratory diseases - such as covid-19 - a major concern due to potential lung damage.
Inflammation in older adults can be more intense and lead to organ damage.
Those with lung disease, asthma, or heart conditions
People with chronic airway and lung diseases - such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and interstitial lung disease - have the foundation for developing more severe coronavirus infection due to inflammation, scarring and lung damage that these conditions cause, Johns Hopkins Medicine reported.
Watch the covid-19 attack on the lungs in 3D 1:16Covid-19 affects a person's airways and lungs, but those organs work together to provide oxygen to the body. When the lungs are overburdened with an infection, the heart must work harder, exacerbating the risks for people already living with heart disease.
Immunosuppressed patients
According to the CDC, many conditions can make a person immunosuppressed, including treatment for cancer, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, and immune deficiencies. Also poorly controlled HIV or AIDS and prolonged use of anabolic steroids or other medications that weaken the immune system can hinder a person's immune function.
Cancer can affect the immune system by spreading to the bone marrow, which produces blood cells that help fight infection, according to Cancer Research UK. Cancer prevents the bone marrow from making enough blood cells.
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Some cancer treatments can also temporarily weaken the immune system. Because methods such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, cancer drugs, and steroids target cancer cells, they can also lower the number of white blood cells made in the bone marrow.
A 2017 study found that cigarette smoking can damage the immune system by either triggering extreme immune responses to pathogens or causing the body to be less effective in fighting disease. This can occur by smoking, negatively altering the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining strong immune function.
Now, when a person undergoes a bone marrow transplant, using stem cells from a donor or through an organ, doctors can prescribe medications to prevent graft-versus-host disease and mitigate the immune system reaction by suppressing their function. . After the operation, it takes time for the immune system to work again.
Model shows the spread of covid -19 in the air 2:16HIV and AIDS attack the body's immune system, specifically T cells that help fight infection. When these diseases are not treated, HIV reduces the number of those cells, making the person more likely to get other infections or infection-related cancer, according to the CDC.
Severe obesity
People with severe obesity, or a body mass index of 40 or higher, have an increased risk of serious illness.
Which Mexicans are most at risk of death from covid-19? 3:27"Obesity shares the presence of an inflammatory component with most chronic diseases," said a 2012 study. Inflammatory responses were related to the immune system and body fat. Obesity is known to alter immune function by affecting white blood cell count and the cells that control defense responses.
Diabetes
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes face an increased risk of becoming seriously ill from covid-19, as both conditions cause a spike in blood sugar. If blood sugar is mishandled, viral illnesses can be more dangerous, since a high blood level can provide viruses with a place to thrive, according to Diabetes in Control, a news and information resource for medical professionals.
What a diabetic and asthmatic should do when faced with the coronavirus 5:21Higher levels of inflammation have also been discovered in the bodies of people with diabetes, weakening the immune system and making it more difficult for those with this condition to avoid the disease in general.
Kidney and liver disease
The kidneys make various hormones that affect immune responses. Having kidney disease and failure can weaken your immune system, making it easier for infections to stay. According to the National Kidney Foundation, doctors and researchers have found that most infections are more serious in people with kidney disease.
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The liver is an integral part of our body's line of defense, helping to regulate the number of white blood cells used in immune responses and to defend against harmful pathogens. Someone with liver disease is experiencing disturbances in the function of the immune system, leading to more serious illnesses.
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders can also increase the risk of severe covid-19 disease in people of any age.
These conditions include disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and muscles - such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, stroke - and intellectual disability, according to the CDC. Those with a moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury are also at increased risk.
How to properly clean your food 2:42People with neurological diseases may not be at increased risk solely because of their condition, but because the medications they can take to control it may hinder their immune system response. However, it has been recognized that some neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's, also have inflammatory components that affect the immune system.
Others, such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), could cause paralysis of the diaphragm, leaving sufferers at a very high risk of respiratory failure if they become ill with covid-19.
Stay safe when you are most at risk
If you see yourself on the list of people at increased risk for severe coronavirus disease, there are several things you can do to protect yourself. First, make sure you are in communication with your doctor or doctors about the level of risk. Second, stay more vigilant about the recommendations and actions that have been asked of most people.
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Stay home whenever possible and avoid close contact with people, the CDC suggests. Wash your hands frequently to avoid transferring the virus from one surface to your face, and try to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces as often as possible.
If you don't have a pre-existing condition, doing your part to practice these precautionary measures can help you not only protect yourself, but your loved ones who suffer from these diseases.
Conditions covid-19 Diseases Heart disease
