More than 1 in 5 Alabama adults under age 60 are more likely to develop a serious illness if they get infected with coronavirus, according to a report out this week from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

It’s the third highest rate in the nation, behind Arkansas and West Virginia.

“It’s not just older people who are at risk in Alabama of getting really sick; it’s also the younger people,” said Dr. Tricia Neuman, senior vice president at Kaiser Family Foundation and one of the report’s authors.

“Alabama has a relatively high rate of adults with lung disease, heart disease and diabetes,” she said. “The risk (of serious illness) is higher because these are the conditions associated with a risk of infection from coronavirus.”

Most people who become infected with coronavirus will likely not become seriously ill, but a significant segment of adults have a higher risk of serious illness if they become infected, due to their age or an underlying medical condition.

Overall, 46 percent of all adults in Alabama age 18 and older are at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus, the fourth-highest in the nation.

About 46 percent of all adults in Alabama age 18 and older are at higher risk of serious illness from coronavirus, the fourth-highest in the nation, according to a report from Kaiser Family Foundation. (Ramsey Archibald / rarchibald@al.com)

The “serious illness” categorization comes from the CDC, said Neumann, but could include anything from severe symptoms like high fevers and trouble breathing all the way to death.

About 68% of Alabama adults age 60 and older are at risk of serious coronavirus complications, according to the report, a number that’s lower than many states.

Alabama doesn't have as large of a share of older adults who are at risk of serious coronavirus complications compared to much of the nation, according to the report. (Ramsey Archibald / rarchibald@AL.com)

“The numbers say to take this very seriously,” said Neumann. “If you put the numbers together in Alabama, close to 2 million adults in Alabama are at risk (of serious illness). That’s nearly half the population.”