As the United States emerges from another summer COVID-19 wave, authorities have a clearer picture of who the coronavirus has affected most in the fourth year of the pandemic.
A study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday reveals that older adults — those 65 and above — accounted for 63% of all COVID-related hospitalizations recorded from January to August, even as admissions declined for nearly all other age groups over the same period.
Only 24% of those hospitalized this year were up to date on their coronavirus vaccinations, and the vast majority had two or more underlying health conditions. The 65 and older age group also constituted 61% of intensive care unit admissions and nearly 90% of COVID-19-related deaths.
In the U.S., there are approximately 53 million adults who fall into this age group, amounting to around 16% of the population. Nationally, an average of 155 people are still dying of COVID-related causes every day, the majority of them over 70 and/or immunocompromised.
Despite their higher risk, federal data show only about 43% of adults aged 65 and older received the previous bivalent booster shot, which was available from September 2022 to May of this year. Among those hospitalized, 16% had not received any COVID-19 vaccination at all.
The study’s findings underscore the severity of cases among older adults. Those admitted to hospitals with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result faced elevated risks of severe outcomes, “including ICU admission, receipt of invasive mechanical ventilation, and in-hospital death,” the study said.
Public health experts caution that although hospitalization rates have recently declined, this winter could bring a surge of new infections. Last month, the CDC recommended that all Americans 6 months and older receive the new COVID-19 vaccine.
In the new study, the agency labeled COVID-19 a “continued public health threat,” especially for those aged 65 and older.
“Adults with increased risk for COVID-19–associated hospitalization, including all adults aged ≥65 years, should reduce their risk for severe COVID-19 by receiving recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, adopting measures to reduce risk for contracting COVID-19, and seeking prompt outpatient antiviral treatment after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result,” the researchers wrote.
Reach Aidin Vaziri: [email protected]
