MUNCIE — None of the 66 people to die in Delaware County from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) so far has been under the age of 50, and only one was in their 50s.

Delaware County Health Officer Donna Wilkins released age and gender information on 66 people killed by the disease to The Star Press on Thursday.

It shows a higher-than-average number of women dying and also an above-average number of deaths among those who are 80 years old or older. More than eight out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in Delaware County have been among adults aged 70 years and older.

Older adults are not only at highest risk of dying from COVID-19 but also are the most likely group to require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19.

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