COVID-19 remains a serious health risk, especially for certain populations. While most people experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover within a few weeks, COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death, particularly in older adults and those with underlying health conditions. Approximately 14% of symptomatic patients develop severe symptoms requiring hospitalization, and 5% become critically ill with complications such as respiratory failure or multi- organ dysfunction. Long-term effects (long COVID) can persist for months or years after infection, even in those not hospitalized, affecting multiple organ systems including gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and neurological. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients face a higher risk of death and physical health complications extending several years post-infection. Mild cases still carry a small chance of new health problems and reduced healthy life years. The infection fatality rate varies significantly by age, from almost negligible in children and young adults to very high in the elderly, with those aged 85+ having an estimated fatality rate over 28%. COVID-19's risks are higher than those of seasonal flu and comparable to or exceeding other significant health risks in older and vulnerable populations. Preventive measures such as vaccination, good hygiene, clean indoor air, and avoiding exposure to infected individuals remain critical to reducing the risk of severe outcomes and long- term health impacts from COVID-19.
