COVID-19 and National Voter Registration Day
Two things…
First, I don’t care who or where you are, register to vote here: https://vote.gov/
Second, some states allow you register to mail-in-vote online while registering to vote. If you have this option, keep reading…
A few months ago, I was invited to an advisory board to ensure safe voting during the pandemic. This advisory board had 11 people: I was the only epidemiologist (PhD) alongside some of the biggest names in medicine (MDs). We were tasked to define “high risk COVID19 populations” for mail-in voting and put forth safe voting guidelines for in-person voting. While we completed our task, our finalized report has yet to be released; however, I’m authorized to share the list of high-risk COVID19 populations we agreed upon. Every condition on this list is data-driven and evidence-based (you can imagine the long conversations we had over zoom). Also, we attempted to translate the official medical disease name in easier to understand lingo.
IF your state has the option AND you have one of the listed conditions, PLEASE consider mail-in or curbside voting. This will allow you to exercise your right to vote AND your right to good health.
High-risk COVID19 Populations:
Pulmonary (Lung) Conditions
Asthma (moderate-to-severe).
Chronic Bronchitis.
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Cystic fibrosis, a condition that affects the lungs and digestive system, causing a lot of infections and blockage due to secretions.
Emphysema.
Chronic Lung disease.
Pulmonary fibrosis (having damaged or scarred lung tissues).
Smoking.
Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular (Heart and Brain Blood Vessel) Conditions
Serious Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies (diseases of the heart muscle).
Cerebrovascular disease: diseases that affect the blood vessels and blood supply to the brain.
Stroke.
Diabetes and Hypertension
Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.
Hypertension (high blood pressure).
Weak Immune System
Blood or bone marrow transplant.
Any type of Cancer.
Receiving Clinical trial treatment (drug or medical device) after September 13, 2020.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).
Solid Organ transplant.
Use of “Steroid” medications.
Additional Medical Conditions
Cirrhosis of the liver.
Hemoglobin disorders.
Chronic Kidney disease.
Liver disease, including cirrhosis.
Neurologic conditions, such as dementia.
Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher).
Pregnancy.
Sickle cell disease.
Thalassemia.
Age 65 or older
Unfortunately, this is the only information I’m authorized to share thus far. I hope that the formal report will be coming out soon.
Love, YLE
PS. This is a bipartisan page. We all know who is running. No need to turn the comments section into your personal preference platform. The purpose of this post is to educate people how to safely vote given the public health circumstances.