5 risk factors to watch out for this respiratory virus season

Respiratory viruses impact everyone differently. Some may miss a few days of work, while others face a long recovery. Certain risk factors can make you more vulnerable to getting very sick from COVID-19, flu and RSV.

To stay healthy, people at high risk and their loved ones should take precautions — whether they’re an active senior staying up to date on their shots or a pregnant person getting vaccinated to protect their unborn baby. Vaccines are your best defense against getting very sick.

Here are five key risk factors to know.

1. Age

Grandparents and grandkids share a special bond, but during respiratory virus season, older adults need to take extra care. People ages 65 and older are at a higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19 and flu, while those 75 and older are at a higher risk for severe RSV. Additionally, older adults who are 60 to 74 and live in nursing homes or have health conditions, such as heart and lung disease, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and other chronic conditions, are at higher risk of complications and more severe illness from RSV.

On the other side of the generations, younger children and especially infants, whose immune systems are still developing, are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, flu and RSV. Infants under 6 months have hospitalization rates for COVID-19 similar to older adults. Each year, RSV leads to an estimated 58,000 to 80,000 hospitalizations among children.

2. Chronic conditions

Regardless of age, certain health conditions, such as heart and lung disease, obesity, asthma, diabetes and kidney disease, can put individuals at higher risk of developing severe illness from respiratory viruses.

Obesity can worsen COVID-19 outcomes and, in some cases, may triple the risk of hospitalization. For people with asthma, respiratory viruses can trigger asthma attacks or even lead to pneumonia. Those with diabetes face a greater risk of severe illness, especially if blood sugar levels are not well-controlled. And individuals with heart disease should take extra care, as respiratory viruses can strain the cardiovascular system.

3. Weakened immune function

Some medical conditions and treatments can weaken the immune system, leaving a person vulnerable to infection. Common reasons for a moderate to severely weakened immune system include cancer treatments, organ transplants requiring immunosuppressive therapy and primary immunodeficiency disorders.

A weakened immune system makes it harder to fight respiratory infections, including COVID-19, flu and RSV. It can also reduce the body’s ability to maintain long-term protection from previous infections or vaccinations. That is why staying up to date on vaccines is especially important for people with weakened immune systems.

4. Pregnancy

Expecting a baby is an exciting time, but pregnancy brings physical changes to a pregnant person’s body that can increase the risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses. Changes to the immune system, heart, and lungs during pregnancy can heighten the chances of getting severely sick from COVID-19 and flu. Pregnant women are 2.5 times more likely to be admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 than nonpregnant women in the same age group.

Respiratory viruses can also affect pregnancy outcomes. Studies found that COVID-19 increased the risk of preterm births between 2020 and 2022 before vaccines were widely available.

5. Vaccination status

If you’ve been vaccinated before, it’s easy to assume you’re already protected. But flu viruses change every year. In order to protect against the most current strains, flu vaccines are updated annually. Just like updating your smartphone, getting a flu shot each year helps protect you from the latest versions of the virus spreading in your community.

Likewise, COVID-19 has changed a lot since the pandemic began. The 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine has been updated to target the variants currently in your community, making it important to stay up to date.

Risk Less. Do More.

While millions of Americans get sick with respiratory viruses each year, vaccines can help keep you from being among the hundreds of thousands who need hospital care because of serious illness. Vaccines help reduce the risk of severe illness from COVID-19, flu and RSV, protecting both high-risk individuals and entire communities.

Getting vaccinated this respiratory virus season is a simple way to risk less and do more.

To learn more about protecting yourself from COVID-19, flu and RSV this respiratory virus season, go to ‎cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore. 

Members of the editorial and news staff of Paste BN Network were not involved in the creation of this content.