Essay Example on Which Demographic Group Is Most Impacted By COVID-19?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 72 million COVID cases in the United States of America. That is about nine times the population of Australia. However, only a minute percentage of people who have gotten COVID have died. The majority of these cases are people who are sixty-five years old and older. Although children and adults are susceptible to COVID, the elderly, obese, and those with chronic conditions are most at risk of experiencing a negative impact from the disease.

To begin, the COVID-19 pandemic has been prevalent in obese people. As a result, obese people are two times more likely to be hospitalized, 75% more likely to be placed in an intensive care unit, and 50% more likely to die (Harvard Health). Obesity increases the risk of impaired immune systems and chronic inflammation, making it harder to fight off COVID-19. Obesity increases the risk for diabetes and high blood pressure (Harvard Health). These diseases make it more difficult for the body to fight off illnesses like COVID-19. The center for disease control (CDC) remarks that obese people have less ventilation and have decreased lung space. The CDC says that obese people are more likely to obtain chronic inflammation, making them more vulnerable to COVID-19 and other sicknesses. Clearly, obese people are more susceptible to diseases or conditions like COVID-19. 

In addition, older adults are being stricken by the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults are more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 due to physiological changes in their aging bodies. (CDC). Examples of these changes are changes in metabolism and weight gain. These conditions also cause an impaired immune system and vulnerability to COVID-19. Conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, and impaired gas exchanges cause older people to be affected by the COVID-19 virus. (CDC). As proved above, older adults are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

Equally important, people with preexisting conditions are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently,  illnesses such as HIV, cancer, and other diseases that compromise the immune system are known to weaken the body’s ability to fight off COVID-19 (CDC). Other preexisting conditions associated with chronic lung diseases such as moderate to severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, and bronchiectasis impair lung function and increase the risk associated with COVID-19 (CDC). Yale Medicine stated that people with Down syndrome are susceptible to COVID-19 due to their anatomy (Macmillan). Down-syndrome individuals have a small jaw, enlarged tonsils, low throat muscle tones, and enlarged adenoids, making their bodies sensitive to COVID-19. Therefore, their anatomy causes them to easily contract respiratory infections such as COVID-19.  This confirms that individuals with pre-existing conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19.

In closing, the demographic most likely to contract COVID-19 are the elderly population, obese individuals, and people with preexisting conditions. Currently, 72 million people, 20.57% of the United States of America, have been affected by COVID-19. Due to covid spreading so quickly, 72 million can easily turn to 80 million or more.  For this reason, many Americans with pre-existing conditions and the elderly should take precautions to protect themselves against the COVID-19 virus.