Article by Ashley Clift et al. Annals of Internal Medicine.
October 21, 2020.
At the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many national health organizations emphasized nonpharmacologic interventions, such as quarantining or physical distancing. In the United Kingdom, strict self-isolation (“shielding”) was advised for those deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable on the basis of the presence of selected medical conditions or at the discretion of their general practitioners. Down syndrome features on neither the U.K. shielding list nor the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list of groups at “increased risk.” However, it is associated with immune dysfunction, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary pathology and, given its prevalence, may be a relevant albeit unconfirmed risk factor for severe COVID-19. We sought to evaluate Down syndrome as a risk factor for death from COVID-19 through a comprehensive analysis of individual-level data in a cohort study of 8.26 million adults (aged >19 years), as part of a wider COVID-19 risk prediction project commissioned by the U.K. government.
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