Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If you are infected with the virus, you will most likely experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.

The respiratory system is composed of organs that are involved in breathing. These organs include the nose, throat, larynx, trachea (windpipe), bronchi, and lungs.

You will likely recover without requiring treatment or medication. However, some people may become seriously ill and require medical attention. You are more likely to develop serious illness from COVID-19 if you are older or you have underlying medical conditions like:

•    Cardiovascular (heart) disease

•    Diabetes

•    Chronic respiratory (lung) disease

•    Cancer
 

This list is not exhaustive.

If you have one or more of the above medical conditions (risk factors) and you get COVID-19, you may be more likely to:

• Become seriously ill
• Be hospitalised
• Require a machine to help you breathe
• Need intensive care
• Die

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• Your age can be a predictor of how serious your illness from COVID-19 would be.²  The older you are, the more severe your illness from COVID-19 might be.²
• The risk of hospitalisation or death due to COVID-19 increases with age.²
  • 60x higher risk if you are 65-74 years, compared to people under 30 years.²
  • 140x higher risk if you are 75-84 years, compared to people under 30 years.²
  • 340x higher if you are 85+ years, compared to people under 30 years.²
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• If you have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you may be more likely to become seriously ill from COVID 19.

• If you have diabetes your risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 is almost 2x that of a person who does not have diabetes.³

• If you have diabetes, you may have other conditions that may put you at high-risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. Some of these conditions include:

  • High blood pressure (hypertension)

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • Chronic kidney disease

  • Obesity

• Talk to your doctor today and discuss how you can put a COVID-19 plan in place

• If you have cancer, your risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 is higher than people who do not have cancer. Your risk of complications and death is also increased.
• The treatments you take for your cancer, such as chemotherapy or radiation, can weaken your body’s ability to fight COVID-19.
• If you have early-stage cancer (stage I to II cancer), your likelihood of recovering when you are diagnosed with COVID-19 is higher than if you have advanced-stage cancer (stage IV cancer).
• If you have cancer and get COVID-19, you are more likely than a person who does not have cancer to
  • Be hospitalised
  • Need intensive care
  • Require a machine to help you breath

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• If you are taking immunosuppressive medicines, they may weaken your immune system. When your immune system is weakened, your ability to fight infections is low and increases your chance of getting very sick from COVID-19.
• If you have or are being treated for certain medical conditions, then you may be immunocompromised (or have a weakened immune system).
• Immunodeficiencies may be:
  • Primary immunodeficiencies that are inherited
  • Secondary immunodeficiencies that are from infections such as HIV, or from treatment with radiation or immunosuppressive medicines
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