People with developmental disabilities are at greater risk of dying from coronavirus, according to a study by Syracuse researchers.
Researchers at Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University said people in this population tend to have multiple health problems and often live in group homes, factors that may make them more susceptible to the coronavirus.
Their study, published in the ScienceDirect Disability and Health Journal, looked at more than 30,000 people identified as Covid-19 positive in electronic medical records gathered by TriNetX, a global health research network.
Developmental disabilities include disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism.
The study found Covid-19 case fatality rates are higher among children 17 and younger and adults 18 to 74 with intellectual and developmental disabilities than their non-disabled peers. Fatality rates were similar among disabled and non-disabled people 75 and older.
The study said the U.S. public health system does not adequately monitor Covid-19 among people with developmental disabilities.
“More attention is needed to this vulnerable health population in order to ensure their safety and well-being during this pandemic,” Scott Landes, an SU associate professor of sociology who participated in the study, said in the release.
He said fatality rates show if 100,000 people with developmental disabilities ages 18 to 74 get Covid-19, 4,500 would likely die. By comparison, among 100,000 non-disabled people in the same age group who get the virus, 2,700 people would die.
