Inflammation: The Key Factor That Explains Vulnerability to Severe COVID

Tuning into factors that affect severity of a COVID-19 infection can help doctors treat patients more effectively

A resident is taken from the Epping Gardens Aged Care Home in Melbourne, Australia, on July 29, 2020. Older patients are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

The severity of COVID-19 can vary hugely. In some, it causes no symptoms at all. In others, it’s life-threatening, with some people particularly vulnerable to its very severe effects.

The virus disproportionately affects men and people who are older and who have conditions such as diabetes and obesity. In the United Kingdom and other Western countries, ethnic minorities also have been disproportionately affected.