Coronavirus Hospitalizations Highest Among Older Adults, Men

New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that older adults and those with underlying health issues have been profoundly impacted by the novel coronavirus, reports U.S. News & World Report . Analysis of 1,482 coronavirus hospitalizations in 14 states found the overall hospitalization rate for those with COVID-19 was 4.6 per 100,000 people over four weeks in March — a rate that increased with age. The hospitalization rate was 2.5 among people 18 to 49 versus 7.4 among those 50 to 64 and 13.8 among those 65 and older. About 75 percent of people hospitalized with the pathogen were 50 or older, while about 90 percent of some 180 hospitalized adults had one or more underlying health issues. The most common ailments included high blood pressure, obesity, chronic lung disease, and diabetes and heart disease. The CDC data also indicates that about 54 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations were among men, and that African Americans are bearing a particularly severe burden from the pandemic. "Given the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates are expected to increase as additional cases are identified and as coronavirus testing capacity in the United States increases," the researchers concluded.