Journal Article
Specific Susceptibility to COVID-19 in Adults with Down Syndrome
Tomer Illouz; Arya Biragyn; Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern; Orly Weissberg; Alessandro Gorohovski; Eugene Merzon; Ilan Green; Florencia Iulita; Lisi Flores-Aguilar; Mara Dierssen; Ilario De Toma; Hefziba Lifshitz; Stylianos E. Antonarakis; Eugene Yu; Yann Herault; Marie-Claude Potier; Alexandra Botté; Randall Roper; Benjamin Sredni; Ronit Sarid; Jacqueline London; William Mobley; Andre Strydom; Eitan Okun
NeuroMolecular Medicine · Vol. 23, Issue 4 · pp. 561-571 · 2021
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.