Catching the Coronavirus: Who Is More at Risk of Severe Illness?

1. Individuals who are elderly

According to a report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control, people aged 80 and above who are infected with the virus had the highest mortality rate, at 14.8 percent, compared to an overall rate of 0.9 percent in China at that time.

However, take into consideration that these figures are from February 17 and these numbers change really fast. As a matter of fact, the mortality rate appears to rise dramatically after 65, says Dr. Long.

This is mainly because when we age, the internal organs don’t work as well as they used to, adds Dr. Long. The natural decline of the immune system over time plays an important role too.

“As you get older, your immune system is not as potent as when you were young,” said Anthony Fauci, MD, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a March 13 news conference.