Abstract
The current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, which causes COVID-19, is particularly devastating for individuals with chronic medical conditions, in particular those with Down Syndrome (DS) who often exhibit a higher prevalence of respiratory tract infections, immune dysregulation and potential complications. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is much higher in DS than in the general population, possibly increasing further the risk of COVID-19 infection and its complications. Here we provide a biological overview with regard to specific susceptibility of individuals with DS to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as data from a recent survey on the prevalence of COVID-19 among them. We see an urgent need to protect people with DS, especially those with AD, from COVID-19 and future pandemics and focus on developing protective measures, which also include interventions by health systems worldwide for reducing the negative social effects of long-term isolation and increased periods of hospitalization.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 561-571 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | NeuroMolecular Medicine |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021, The Author(s).
Funding
This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging. We thank Yael Laure for thorough editing of the manuscript. This research was supported by the Trisomy-21 Research Society (T21RS). This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging. We thank Yael Laure for thorough editing of the manuscript.
Funders | Funder number |
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Trisomy-21 Research Society | T21RS |
National Institute on Aging | ZIAAG000444 |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Down syndrome
- Immune dysregulation
- SARS-CoV-2
- Vaccine