CNN reported at the end of October on a study finding that people with Down syndrome have a 10-fold greater risk of dying from COVID-19. More evidence why caregivers should shield their loved ones with Down syndrome from this awful virus.
“COVID fatigue”
Seven months after the United States experienced lockdown in an effort to “flatten the curve” of coronavirus cases, many are now experiencing what has been termed “COVID fatigue.”
COVID fatigue is a very real phenomena, and an understandable one. We’ve been in various states of lockdown for months, going from the most extreme of actual lockdown in the Spring of 2020, to now still not hugging loved ones who are not in our “pod”, wearing a mask into almost any public establishment, and remaining socially distant as much as possible.
Most students still are not attending in-person school, or, if they are, they alternate days with the other half of the student body. Professional conferences remain virtual. Restaurants are open, but it’s going to get more uncomfortable eating on their patios as winter approaches.
For many, if they know anyone who has been infected, odds are increasing that that person survived the virus and may have not even had that bad of symptoms. Fortunately, for those who are seriously affected, there continue to be advances in treatment options that are becoming more and more effective.
So, it’s understandable that for a lot of people, they’re just “over” COVID-19. They’re done with having to wear masks, to socially distance, and to having to use what pre-2020 would be an inordinate amount of hand sanitizer.
But, for those who care about individuals with Down syndrome, they need to shield themselves and their loved ones from this COVID fatigue.
The virus is indifferent to your fatigue.
Here’s the thing: the virus does not care if you are tired of caring about it.
The virus still exists. In many areas, they are experiencing more positive cases than even during the first peak in the Spring. It is expected that as the cold weather arrives and people move more to being indoors, breathing recycled air, that there will be another spike in coronavirus cases.
These are the reasons there is a “cold-and-flu season.” But now, it will be the “cold-and-flu-and-COVID-19 season.”
If the rate of death and hospitalizations track what the study CNN reported about continues, then this will be a very dark winter for families with loved ones with Down syndrome if they are not shielded.
10X death rate; 4X hospitalization rate
The study comes out of the United Kingdom. The researchers wanted to see if individuals with Down syndrome should be classified as an “increased risk” group, as seniors and those with compromised immune systems already were.
Using a population-level primary care database, the researchers sampled an 8.25 million patient cohort. Within that cohort, they identified 4,053 as having Down syndrome. In the study period from January – June 2020, 68 patients with Down syndrome died: 27 (39.7%) of COVID-19, 17 (25%) of pneumonia, and the remainder of other causes. Of the 8.25 million patients without Down syndrome, 41,685 died: 8,457 (20.3%) of COVID-19, 5,999 (14.4%) of pneumonia, and the remainder of other causes.
From this data, they employed a recognized model to determine the relative “hazard risk” for COVID-19 for individuals with Down syndrome. The researchers concluded based on their analysis that individuals with Down syndrome were four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those without. Chillingly, they found individuals with Down syndrome were 10 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than individuals without Down syndrome.
Corroborating evidence
At the outset of the pandemic, I summarized a study from a previous coronavirus pandemic that found individuals with Down syndrome were at higher risk. In April, just a month after lockdown measures were taken, a study out of New York found that individuals with intellectual disabilities had a death rate almost twice that of patients without intellectual disabilities. Then, in June a researcher theorized why the genetics of Down syndrome may explain the worse effects COVID-19 has and a separate study found that individuals with Down syndrome in New York had a death rate five times that of individuals with Down syndrome.
The study out of the UK now estimates it is twice as bad.
Shield individuals with Down syndrome from COVID-19
“COVID-19,” “novel coronavirus,” “lockdown,” “social distancing,” “COVID fatigue”. Add to this glossary list for 2020 “shielding.”
The same UK researchers begin their report by noting that public health officials had recommended that those at “increased risk” should engage in “strict self-isolation” or “shielding.” Despite reading and writing on the pandemic for months, I was unfamiliar with this term.
But it makes sense.
I’m not recommending “strict self-isolation” for individuals with Down syndrome. Most people with Down syndrome need some assistance with some daily life activities. Plus, most people with Down syndrome prefer to be with other people. So, “self-isolation” is not indicated for individuals with Down syndrome at almost any time.
But, as a father to a daughter with Down syndrome, the idea of “shielding” her from danger–well, that’s what I’m supposed to do.
COVID-19 is a danger to everyone.
COVID-19 has not gone away; the number of infections is increasing.
COVID-19 poses a ten-fold greater danger of killing individuals with Down syndrome than those without Down syndrome.
If you care for someone with Down syndrome, if you love someone with Down syndrome, all of the data is telling us that we need to shield them from the danger of COVID-19.
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