COVID-19 and people with Down syndrome

According to an article in USA Today, “COVID-19 is especially deadly for adults with Down syndrome, but many can't get a vaccine shot", by Marc Ramirez, 3/8/21, families and advocacy groups for people with Down syndrome are pushing local, state, and federal agencies to prioritize people with Down syndrome for Covid-19 vaccinations.

Increased vulnerability

“Recent studies indicate that adults with Down syndrome, specifically those 40 and older, are three to 10 times as likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. The findings confirmed what many had already suspected – that those with the genetic disorder, already prone to respiratory issues, heart conditions and other risk factors for coronavirus, were more susceptible to the virus’s harmful effects. 

“A 40-year-old with Down syndrome faces the same COVID-19 risk as a typical 70-year-old, according to the most recent study led by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, part of an international collaboration. The results, researchers and advocates said, indicate the need to prioritize vaccination for individuals with Down syndrome, especially adults.

“While the growing body of research helped spur the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add Down syndrome to its list of high-risk groups for priority vaccination in December, advocates said many states still aren’t sufficiently emphasizing the population.”

The status of people with Down syndrome for Covid vaccination varies from state to state

“According to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, at least 29 states now place those withDown syndrome in the CDC’s recommended high priority category for vaccination, based on the foundation’s interpretation of state guidelines.

“While the landscape continues to change as advocacy efforts ramp up nationwide, individuals with Down syndrome remain in lower-than-recommended tiers in eight states, according to the association’s last tally. As for the remaining states, the group said guidelines did not definitively cite priority status for those with Down syndrome.”

Risk Factors

“The primary COVID-19 risk factors faced by individuals with Down syndrome are immunodeficiency issues and conditions associated with premature aging, said Anke Huels, chief author of the Emory University study and assistant professor of epidemiology and environmental health.”
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“Moya Peterson, director of the Adults with Down Syndrome Specialty Clinic at University of Kansas Medical Center, said it was clear that “if they got COVID, they got sick, very fast. We knew this was going to be a problem.

“The population contracts pneumonia easily, she said, and is prone to weight issues, heart issues and autoimmune disorders.

“The list also includes obstructive sleep apnea, which some studies have linked to a higher risk of COVID-19 and which can be experienced by between 40 to 70% of individuals with Down syndrome, depending on age.”

COVID restrictions have also caused problems - “Caregivers said that in addition to anxiety and depression, people with Down syndrome have suffered physical and intellectual setbacks as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns.”