About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are at risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19 due to their age or underlying health issues, according to an analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation.
KFF analyzed data from the CDC's 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the total number of U.S. adults and their relative risk of serious illness by state. Based on the CDC's definition, KFF defined high-risk individuals as adults age 60 or older and younger adults with heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes.
Five things to know:
1. More than 105 million adults, or 41 percent, are at heightened risk if they contract COVID-19.
2. Of these individuals, 72 percent are age 60 or older. The remainder are at heightened risk due to underlying medical conditions.
3. About 6 million adults at higher risk for severe illness are uninsured, 3.9 million of whom are under age 60.
4. Washington, D.C., had the lowest proportion of at-risk adults at 31 percent, while West Virginia had the highest at 51 percent.
5. Washington state and New York, which have both been hit hard by COVID-19, sat at 40 percent.
To view the full analysis, click here.