Immunocompromised People Remain Vulnerable Even When COVID Cases Decrease

While COVID-19 instances are decreasing throughout the country, UW Health experts are urging the public to be cautious of people who are immunocompromised and might get severely sick as a result of the virus.

Even though those who have been vaccinated will not become extremely ill with COVID-19 if they get sick, several of Dr. Jeannina Smith‘s patients that are part of the transplant program are still concerned about becoming ill.

She went on to say that although we are all suffering from pandemic fatigue, we must not overlook the most disadvantaged among us. Individuals with weakened immune systems continue to die even with medical improvements, and we can all play a role in keeping them safe.

Per the National Library of Medicine, unvaccinated organ transplant patients have an 80-fold increased chance of contracting COVID-19, and once sick, they have a 485-fold increased risk of severe disease. According to statistics, 50% of those ill will be hospitalized, and one in ten will die.

Smith said, that there are so many individuals in our own neighborhoods who don’t have the privilege of just pulling their masks and leaving COVID-19 past them, many of whom you’d never know had impaired immune systems. She also urged people to remember those people and families for whom no alternative is simple. We must continue to keep an eye out for one another.

Dr. Smith advises persons who are immunocompromised to keep up to date on their immunizations and to urge friends and relatives to do the same. Immunocompromised people should continue to wear masks inside, opt for outdoor recreation whenever feasible, and avoid contact with sick people. If they test positive, immunocompromised people should get care as soon as possible.