According to a recent study by researchers at Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University, those with developmental disabilities — such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome — have been found to be at greater risk of dying from COVID-19.

Researchers said people in this population tend to have multiple health problems and often live in group homes, factors that may make them more susceptible to the virus.

Their study, published in the ScienceDirect Disability and Health Journal, looked at more than 30,000 people identified as positive for coronavirus in electronic medical records gathered by TriNetX, a global health research network.

The study found COVID-19 death rates are higher among children age 17 and younger and adults ages 18 to 74 with intellectual and developmental disabilities than their non-disabled peers. Death rates were similar among disabled and non-disabled people age 75 and older.

Researchers said the U.S. public health system does not adequately monitor COVID-19 among people with developmental disabilities.

“More attention is needed to this vulnerable health population in order to ensure their safety and well-being during this pandemic,” said Scott Landes, an associate professor of sociology at Syracuse University.

He said fatality rates show if 100,000 people with developmental disabilities ages 18 to 74 get COVID-19, 4,500 would likely die. By comparison, among 100,000 non-disabled people in the same age group who get the virus, 2,700 people would die.

Tara Costello, newly-appointed executive director of the Kelberman Center, said the health and safety of those they serve has been a number-one priority since the coronavirus crisis began.

“The health and safety of the entire Kelberman Center community remains our highest priority. We have taken measures to keep our staff, the children and adults we support and their families safe and protected since the very beginning,” said Costello in a statement.

“Individuals with disabilities may be more susceptible to diseases such as COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions or difficulty navigating safely within their communities in this new and often disconcerting environment. However, we continue to follow the health and safety guidelines as prescribed by the CDC and other local, state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure the continued health and safety of our staff and the people we support,” she added.

Costello added that Telehealth has allowed the Kelberman Center opportunities to continue providing “ongoing services to children, adults and their families despite these challenges.”

Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admissions.