Coronavirus Study: How Many Adults Are At Higher Risk In Alabama

As the new coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, there is an increasing emphasis on the well-being of adults who have a higher risk of developing serious complications if infected.

With that emphasis in mind, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released a state-by-state study of the total number of adults nationwide, including in Alabama, who have an elevated risk of serious illness if infected with the COVID-19 virus.

According to the most recent information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older people and younger adults with serious medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease have a greater risk of becoming severely ill if infected with the virus.

The CDC has issued a specific set of guidelines for the people who fall into this higher-risk category:

• Stock up on supplies.
• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
• When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact, and wash your hands often.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible.
• Avoid cruise travel and nonessential air travel.
• During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible.

Based on early reports, around 40 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. In response, the heart association has created a resource for people with heart issues to best maintain a healthy lifestyle during the coronavirus crisis.

Similarly to heart disease, people with diabetes are more likely to experience severe symptoms and complications when infected with COVID-19 but don’t have any more chance of contracting the virus. The American Diabetes Association has also released a special set of guidelines for diabetics to best prevent and plan against the coronavirus.

The full list of guidelines is available here, but the tips include: collect phone numbers of doctors, pharmacies and health care providers; make sure you are stocked up on simple carbs such as juice and candies to help with possible blood sugar lows; and always have enough insulin for the week ahead, in case you get sick or cannot refill.

Coronavirus in severe cases can lead to a variety of more-dangerous lower-respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia and bronchitis. The developments are more likely to take place in patients who already have cardiopulmonary issues. The American Lung Association has also released an updated set of guidelines to aid people with pre-existing lung disease.

Here are the number of people in Alabama at a higher risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus:

• Number of at-risk adults 18 and older: 1,756,630
• Percentage of at-risk adults as a share of the total population 18 and over in the state: 46.1 percent

• Number of at-risk adults under age 60 due to health conditions: 566,450
• Share of adults under age 60 who are at risk: 21.6 percent

• Total number of adults age 60 and older: 1,190,170
• Older adults as a percentage of all at-risk adults: 67.8 percent

The study from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation found about 40 percent of adults 18 and older in the United States have a higher risk of developing serious illness if infected with the coronavirus, due to their older age (60 and older) or health condition.

The foundation created the study by analyzing data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Surveillance System to estimate the total number of adults nationwide who have an elevated risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19.

You can read more about the methodology by scrolling to the “Methods” section of the study.

On a state-by-state basis, the share of adults with a higher risk if infected ranges from 31 percent in Washington, D.C., to 51 percent in West Virginia. Out of the hardest-hit states so far — such as Washington, California and New York — the share of adults at a higher risk of serious complications hovers around 40 percent.

The health care nonprofit also projected that 5.7 million adults at higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19 are not insured.

The full study is available on the Kaiser Family Foundation website.

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