#HighRiskCovid19 includes more than immunocompromised people

This was originally published as a thread on Twitter.

“High-risk” doesn’t refer solely to immunocompromised & immunosuppressed folks. Let’s talk about it:

1. Correct,

Being immunocompromised (IC) or immunosuppressed (IS) makes someone high-risk for COVID infections. They’re more likely to not mount an adequate vaccine response, more likely to get sick & more likely to get very sick from an infection

Definitions:

Immunocompromised: someone’s own body weakens their immune system

Immunosuppressed: someone taking a medication that weakens their immune system

There’s also a natural weakening of the immune system as people age

2. You can be IC or IS without knowing it

You could be undiagnosed or be unaware that your medication weakens your immune system.

My Tweet from 03/23/22: “You can be high risk for poor outcomes from COVID whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with the numerous comorbidities you may have. COVID doesn’t check your medical chart before adding itself to your medical chart.”

3. IC & IS people aren’t the only high-risk people

There’s high-risk for infection (IS/IC); there’s also high-risk for more severe infection/poor outcomes from an infection, which…