New CDC Information About Pre-Existing Conditions and COVID-19

I hope you are staying safe and healthy.  

Every few weeks the CDC updates its guidance on who is most at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and I want to share this important information with you.  

According to the latest information from the CDC, people of any age are at increased risk of severe illness if they have any of the below conditions:

• Cancer;
• Chronic kidney disease;
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease);
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant;
• Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher);
• Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies;
• Sickle cell disease; or 
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Further, people with the following conditions might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19:

• Asthma (moderate-to-severe);
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain);
• Cystic fibrosis;
• Hypertension or high blood pressure;
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines;
• Neurologic conditions, such as dementia;
• Liver disease;
• Pregnancy;
• Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues);
• Smoking;
• Thalassemia (a type of blood disorder); or
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

If you have one of these preexisting conditions, please click here to learn what the CDC says you can do to help reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying. You need to scroll down to the part of the CDC page titled “Actions you can take based on your medical conditions and other risk factors.”

I hope this information keeps you safe and healthy!