Screenshot of webpage of the CDC COVID-19 Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19: Information for Healthcare Professionals Updated Apr. 12, 2024 – Key Findings from One Large Cross-Sectional Study Underlying Medical Conditions and Severe Illness Among 540,667 Adults Hospitalized With COVID-19, March 2020–March 2021 This study used data from the Premier Healthcare Database, which represents approximately 20% of all inpatient admissions in the United States since 2000. This cross-sectional study of 540,667 adults hospitalized with COVID-19 included both inpatients and hospital-based outpatients with laboratory-diagnosed COVID-19 from March 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. The database included reports from 592 acute care hospitals in the United States. The study was designed to examine risk factors associated with severe outcomes of COVID-19 including admission to an ICU or stepdown unit, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death. Main Findings: Certain underlying medical conditions were associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness in adults. Having multiple conditions was also associated with severe COVID-19 illness. Obesity, diabetes with complications, and anxiety and fear-related disorders had the strongest association with death. The number of frequent underlying medical conditions (present in ≥10.0% of patients) increased with age. [The screenshot has yellow highlighted the text “study was designed to examine risk factors associated with severe outcomes of COVID” and under main findings yellow highlighted text is “anxiety and fear-related disorders had the strongest associating with death.” with the word “death” underlined in red marker.
have PTSD and anxiety. And apparently that’s associated with poorer outcomes from covid – specifically DEATH! Being called an alarmist, I continue to call bullshit on that specious self-contradictory argument against my interest in protecting myself. Of course regardless of the risk of death and hospitalization, it’s perfectly natural, normal, and sensible, to not want to get ill or risk worsening existing conditions. It’s normal to want to avoid sickness for so many logical reasons, even if someone’s not already disabled with “underlying conditions” that put one at higher risk for severe outcomes. Accusing someone pejoratively of being “anxious” OR railing against being called “anxious” as if that’s a bad thing, are both ableist illogical stances that I shun entirely. I also find it off-putting when ableist insults are used in “turnabout is fair play” gambits. We can acknowledge that anxiety serves a purpose, while it also can be a health condition. And I want us as a society to steer far clear of legitimizing political abuse of psychology.
