Coming off from the previous poster/infographic detailing the consequences of COVID-19 infection in different body systems, I decided to design a smaller infographic describing the link between chronic diseases (also known as non-communicable diseases or NCDs) and severe and fatal COVID-19 infection. This infographic was inspired by an article by Sandro Demaio and Edwin Kwong where they expressed the need for the world to respond to the “…long overlooked NCD pandemic…”. Being passionate about both infectious and chronic diseases and knowing the link between the two, I decided to create an infographic more clearly describing the link.
Here, I have put the statistics on various chronic diseases on different medical devices (e.g., the body scales for obesity, a blood pressure monitor for hypertension…). These statistics are sourced from the 2017-18 National Health Survey conducted by the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). This is followed by a paragraph stating how much a particular chronic disease increases the risk of severe or fatal COVID-19 infection. These are based on odds ratios derived from various systematic reviews, where they compile individual clinical studies (up to mid-April 2020) to generate more precise results. These odds ratios are anticipated to become more accurate as more studies are published in the area.
Given the oft-neglected chronic disease pandemic which will only become increasingly common, it is time that we act on not only the re-emergence of new and existing infectious diseases but also tackle the rising prevalence of chronic diseases mostly fuelled by lifestyle choices. Tackling these dual problems will ensure that people can live a healthy life so that they can perform at their best and protect themselves against infectious disease and ill-health.
