99% of patients killed by coronavirus in Italy had existing illnesses, study finds 

99% of patients killed by coronavirus in Italy had existing illnesses, study finds

  • Research into 355 deaths found that only three (0.8%) had no other illnesses
  • Nearly half of them – 48.5% – already had three or even more health conditions 
  • Another 25.6% had two other ‘pathologies’, while 25.1% had one other illness
  • Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

99 per cent of coronavirus deaths in Italy are patients with existing medical problems, a study by the country’s health service has found. 

Research into 355 deaths found that only three of the victims, 0.8 per cent, had been clear of illnesses before they were infected. 

Nearly half of them – 48.5 per cent – already had three or even more health conditions before they were diagnosed with Covid-19. 

Another 25.6 per cent had two other ‘pathologies’, while 25.1 per cent had one. 

This chart shows how most Italian coronavirus victims had pre-existing health conditions, with almost half of them suffering from three or even more illnesses before they were infected 

The research by Italy’s National Institute of Health is consistent with previous findings that people with existing illnesses are more likely to die from coronavirus. 

According to the study, the most common of these problems in Italy include high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.  

Some 76.1 per cent of the patients who died of Covid-19 had previously had problems with high arterial blood pressure, the study found. 

More than a third – 35.5 per cent – had diabetes, while 33.0 per cent had suffered from ischemic heart disease. 

Nearly a quarter, 24.5 per cent, had suffered from atrial fibrillation. Less common examples included dementia and liver disease.  

The study also found that the average age of people who died from the virus in Italy was 79.5, although it was slightly higher for women than men.  

That is also consistent with previous findings from around the world that older people are more vulnerable to the disease.   

Italy’s population is the second-oldest in the world, after Japan’s, and the country has suffered the worst outbreak in Europe by far. 

There have been 35,713 confirmed virus cases in Italy, with 2,978 deaths. 

The study found that 77 per cent of the patients who eventually died were suffering a fever when they were taken to hospital. 

Patients wearing masks lie in beds at a triage department at the Spedali di Brescia hospital in northern Italy earlier this week

Patients wearing masks lie in beds at a triage department at the Spedali di Brescia hospital in northern Italy earlier this week 

Health experts say the fever is one of the main symptoms of coronavirus, along with a cough and shortness of breath. 

However, 5.2 per cent of patients who later died did not initially present any symptoms when they tested positive.  

Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte today ordered the country’s national lockdown to continue past its original deadlines, some of which were as soon as March 25.  

Italy recorded a record 4,207 cases and 475 deaths yesterday, scuppering hopes that the quarantine was starting to stall the rate of infections.  

Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) says it expects a ‘significant reduction’ in the growth rate of new infections in the Lombardy region by next Tuesday or Wednesday.

The northern region of around 10million people has been at the epicentre of the crisis since the start, reporting two thirds of all the deaths in the nation of 60 million.

It has been under lockdown since March 8.

Noting that infections are starting to rise in the south, where many Italians moved after the start of containment measures in the north, the CNR predicts that figures across Italy will only stabilise between March 25 and April 15.

There have been fears that the health system of the poorer south would be entirely unable to cope with an outbreak on the scale which the north has suffered.     

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk