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. 2021 Mar;23(3):576-580.
doi: 10.1038/s41436-020-01004-w. Epub 2020 Oct 16.

Individuals with Down syndrome hospitalized with COVID-19 have more severe disease

Louise Malle  1   2   3   4 , Cynthia Gao  5 , Chin Hur  6 , Han Q Truong  6 , Nicole M Bouvier  1   5 , Bethany Percha  5 , Xiao-Fei Kong  6 , Dusan Bogunovic  7   8   9   10   11
Affiliations

Individuals with Down syndrome hospitalized with COVID-19 have more severe disease

Louise Malle et al. Genet Med. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: Rare genetic conditions like Down syndrome (DS) are historically understudied. Infection is a leading cause of mortality in DS, along with cardiac anomalies. Currently, it is unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals with DS. Herein, we report an analysis of individuals with DS who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York, New York, USA.

Methods: In this retrospective, dual-center study of 7246 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, we analyzed all patients with DS admitted in the Mount Sinai Health System and Columbia University Irving Medical Center. We assessed hospitalization rates, clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

Results: We identified 12 patients with DS. Hospitalized individuals with DS are on average ten years younger than patients without DS. Patients with DS have more severe disease than controls, particularly an increased incidence of sepsis and mechanical ventilation.

Conclusion: We demonstrate that individuals with DS who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are younger than their non-DS counterparts, and that they have more severe disease than age-matched controls. We conclude that particular care should be considered for both the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in these patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; Down syndrome; SARS-CoV-2; primary immunodeficiency; trisomy 21.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age distribution, inflammatory markers, and survival of patients with DS hospitalized with COVID-19. (a) Age distribution of Down syndrome (DS) and non-DS patients hospitalized for COVID-19. (b) Laboratory values for C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations (dotted lines represent upper limit of normal range). (c) Outcomes of DS and age, sex, and ethnicity-matched controls hospitalized for COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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