Dangers of Corona virus on people with special needs, especially Down syndrome

It is known that the effect of Covid19 (Corona) is limited on children in general, but it has been proven that it poses a great danger to the lives of people with Down syndrome.

Several studies have shown that people with Down syndrome are more likely to get infected with coronavirus, and they take longer to recover from infection compared to ordinary people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that people with Down syndrome are among the potential patients exposed to the severe symptoms of Corona virus. The center has updated its list of the most vulnerable categories to diseases and added patients with Down syndrome to them.

The addition of Down syndrome to the list was based on a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in which it was clearly stated that Coronavirus can be fatal for people with Down syndrome 10 times more than normal patients. The CDC recommends that people with this condition consult their health care provider to discuss risk factors, treatments, and level of infection.

Another study published in EClinicalMedicine – The Lancet confirmed the same thing, that adults with Down syndrome have a higher risk of dying from the Corona virus than their peers.

Researchers have found that adults with Down syndrome were three times more likely to die from coronavirus than the general population, and this increased risk was particularly evident if a 40-year-old person with Down syndrome had a similar risk of dying from coronavirus as a normal person older than him by 30 years. 

Anki Howells, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA, said that their results, which are based on more than 1,000 unique coronavirus patients with Down syndrome, show that individuals with Down syndrome often have more acute symptoms in hospitals and suffer from high rates of lung complications associated with increased mortality.

Howells added: These findings have implications for the preventive and clinical management of coronavirus patients with Down syndrome and emphasize the need to prioritize individuals with Down syndrome in vaccination.

“We are pleased to see, based on our findings, that the US Centers for Disease Control has included Down syndrome in its list of high-risk medical conditions, which will prioritize those with Down syndrome,” said Alberto Costa, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, which will give this genetic condition priority in vaccination.

Costa added: “Similar decisions have been made in the UK and Spain, and we hope other countries will soon follow the same steps.”

Another study confirmed that patients with Down syndrome are three times more likely to contract Corona virus than those with other mental and brain disabilities, according to what was published in the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.

The study included more than 500 patients with disabilities in New York City. Researchers have shown that people with Down syndrome are more likely to develop other diseases that make them more likely to get infected with Corona virus.

This means that priority should be given to those who suffer from genetic disorders during the vaccination against Covid 19, especially the case of Down syndrome.