Last Updated : Oct 02, 2020 02:20 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com

Donald Trump is at high risk of hospitalisation due to COVID-19, according to CDC data

According to the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, the rate of hospitalisation of individuals in the 65-74 age bracket is five times higher when compared with 18-29 year olds. Trump turned 74 in June.

Moneycontrol News
File image of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during the first presidential debate on September 29, 2020 (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
File image of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during the first presidential debate on September 29, 2020 (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on October 2, and will be quarantining themselves in their residence at the White House.

Trump, who is 74, is at a high risk of hospitalisation due to COVID-19. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, the rate of hospitalisation of individuals in the 65-74 age bracket is five times higher when compared with 18-29 year olds, and it further increases to eight times in the next age bracket.

Age can also increase the severity of the disease, and likelihood of death. Eight out of 10 COVID-related deaths recorded in the US are among adults aged 65 years and older, according to the CDC.

Close

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

related news

"The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country's greatest medical professionals and institutions," Trump's physician Sean Conley said.

"Rest assured, I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering," Conley added.

Doctors have cautioned that Trump's age and weight are risk factors for COVID-related complications, in a report by The Guardian.

"There are other risk factors and co-morbidities such as whether you are a heavy smoker, have diabetes, or have heart disease. The key risk factors for Trump that we know about are his age and the fact he's overweight, and they'd be high-risk factors." Dr Barry Dixon, a physician from Melbourne told the publication.

 

Follow our full coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.

First Published on Oct 2, 2020 02:20 pm

tags #coronavirus #Covid-19 #Donald Trump #World News