Experts have said that people with Down syndrome are 10 times more prone to death due to COVID19 infection as compared to those who do not have this disorder. The study says that the risk of hospitalization has increased by fourfold among the people who have been dealing with Down syndrome. Experts have warned that this group of people is still not protected. This report has been published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. This analysis has included more than 8 million adults. These participants have been a part of a coronavirus assessment project; this has been funded by the British government.
The study has found that out of 8.26 million people, nearly 4053 people have been suffering from Down syndrome. Around 68 out of them have lost their lives due to the disorder. Whereas 40 percent of them have died due to COVID19. The study has noted that 77 people have died due to pneumonia and 35 percent of them have been killed by other causes. Experts have compared these findings with 41000 people who do not have Down syndrome. In this group, only 20 percent of people have died due to COVID19. At the same time, around 14 percent of people have lost their lives to pneumonia and 65 percent have died due to other reasons. Experts have highlighted an important point saying that Down syndrome has not been mentioned in any of the guidelines of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the UK’s Health Advisory. No government has issued a warning linked to this disorder stating that it might put the patients at an increased risk of COVID19.
This condition is linked to immune dysfunction, congenital heart failure, and pulmonary pathology. Considering the prevalence of the disease, it might be an unconfirmed risk factor for severe COVID19 infection, said the experts. National Down Syndrome Society has said that patients with the condition might have a hard time disclosing if they feel sick. Such people might not be able to describe the symptoms they are suffering from. Hence, there is a need to pay attention to people with Down syndrome. This condition is a common genetic disorder, which is diagnosed in the US each year. The CDC has reported that more than 6000 infants are born with Down syndrome every year in the US. This disorder is reported in 1 out of 700 babies.
