On February 11, 2020 WHO designated the name "COVID-19" for the disease caused by "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that first occurred in Wuhan, China, but quickly turned into a global pandemic. As of June 29, 2020, it has claimed 502,947 lives and is present in more than 213 countries worldwide. Risks associated with acquiring the virus and with its severe outcomes have been reported in various studies, which has led health organizations and governments to develop and institute a variety of preventative and control measures. With constantly growing scientific understanding on this topic, updated information can help equip health and public sectors with the most current knowledge. In this literature review we explore the prevalence of comorbidity among individuals with COVID-19 and summarize our findings based on information available as of May 15, 2020. Overall, we found that comorbidities including Hypertension (27.4%), Diabetes (17.4%), and Cardiovascular Disease (8.9%) are quite prevalent in COVID-19 patients across major epicenters worldwide and is associated with increased disease severity but not clearly to fatality (OR 0.83, CI[0.60-0.99], p <0.05). Understanding of COVID-19 characteristics and association to common global health problems may provide support and direction to policy makers, clinicians, and researchers in developing shielding strategies to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its severe outcomes.
- Adults
- Older adults
- Risk factor
- COVID-19
