99% of Those Who Died From Virus Had Other Illness, Italy Says. 50% Had 3 or More

Of the 2500+ victims just 17 were under 50. All U-40 victims were males with serious preconditions

The median age of those who died was 79.5 — just three years below Italian life expectancy

More than 99% of Italy’s coronavirus fatalities were people who suffered from previous medical conditions, according to a study by the country’s national health authority.

After deaths from the virus reached more than 2,500, with a 150% increase in the past week, health authorities have been combing through data to provide clues to help combat the spread of the disease.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s government is evaluating whether to extend a nationwide lockdown beyond the beginning of April, daily La Stampa reported Wednesday. Italy has more than 31,500 confirmed cases of the illness.

The new study could provide insight into why Italy’s death rate, at about 8% of total infected people, is higher than in other countries. [Of course, the actual death rate is far far lower.]

The Rome-based institute has examined medical records of about 18% of the country’s coronavirus fatalities, finding that just three victims, or 0.8% of the total, had no previous pathology. Almost half of the victims suffered from at least three prior illnesses and about a fourth had either one or two previous conditions.

More than 75% had high blood pressure, about 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease.

Threat to the Elderly

The median age of the infected is 63 but most of those who die are older:

The average age of those who’ve died from the virus in Italy is 79.5.

As of March 17, 17 people under 50 had died from the disease. All of Italy’s victims under 40 have been males with serious existing medical conditions.

While data released Tuesday point to a slowdown in the increase of cases, with a 12.6% rise, a separate study shows Italy could be underestimating the real number of cases by testing only patients presenting symptoms.

According to the GIMBE Foundation, about 100,000 Italians have contracted the virus, daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported. That would bring back the country’s death rate closer to the global average of about 2%.

Source: Bloomberg

14 Comments
  1. cechas vodobenikov says

    insufficient awareness exists among experts; it is too early to draw conclusions…Italy is likely effected as a function of culture …touching and physical distance varies among cultures–in Latin nations/Eastern Europe touching is often observed. in the anglosphere, Northern Europe, except hand holding holding, touching is typically only observed when people r drinking alcohol…also germaphobic peoples do not develop well developed immune systems—researchers find that the middle/upper/middle classes , in the USA and India r particularly germaphobic

  2. Michael Droy says

    Median age: all Italians = 45, those with virus = 63, those who died = 79.5

    Either younger people are not catching the virus, or more likely no one under 45 is being tested.

  3. thomas malthaus says

    “More than 75% had high blood pressure, about 35% had diabetes and a third suffered from heart disease.”

    Under the right conditions, those in the 20-30 age group may succumb to a heart attack if preconditions and genetics were aligned, i.e. labored breathing re the virus.

    Young people are immune to solid advice and their early spring break activities in Florida, California, and elsewhere attest to increased outbreaks when they return home.

  4. Rowdy-Yates says

    Around 6500 have been diagnosed with the virus in America and 114 had died. That would be roughly 1.7% death rate which is higher than the 1% death rate claimed by experts
    In Italy 35,500 have been diagnosed and around 2500 have died. That would be roughly around 8% death rate which is very high.

    1. JustPassingThrough says

      wrong, wrong, wrong.
      you don’t know how many have/had the virus do you?
      is 6500 the total number of people that have/had the virus?
      is 35500 the total number of people that have/had the virus?
      wake up dummy.
      …and learn how to read: (preferably not where you learned Stats)
      “According to the GIMBE Foundation, about 100,000 Italians have contracted the virus, daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported. That would bring back the country’s death rate closer to the global average of about 2%”

    2. David Chu says

      The reason why the death rates are all over the place has to do with at least two factors: (1) the degree that each nation is actually testing for the coronavirus and how they are testing for it, in terms of capacity and protocol, and (2) the quality and quantity of the medical system in each nation.

      1. Michael says

        They are some of the reasons but the point is that out of those diagnosed the # dead is higher than what was expected. The virus has only begun to run its course and I expect to see a sharp rise in deaths.
        Trump’s Johnny-come-lately attitude is too sloppy.

        He should have stared back in January to prepare America against this virus. He behaves just like he always does and that is like a used car salesman.

        1. JustPassingThrough says

          no that is not the point, you do not have any idea of how many people have or had the virus.
          are you that thick all the time?

          1. Rowdy-Yates says

            Let me go a bit slowly for you. If there is a virus where 10 people catch and all 10 people die from it then the “death rate” is 100% and would be treated as one of the most deadliest viruses.
            When the black plague killed 1/3 of Europe’s population the death rate was 30% so that is considered high

            1. JustPassingThrough says

              ” If there is a virus where 10 people catch and all 10 people die from it then the “death rate””

              You don’t know if only 10 people caught it.
              Your stats are useless.

              You are a smartass dummy, aren’t you?

            2. Rowdy-Yates says

              English must not be your language. I gave an example. so let me explain it to you again
              lets assume a virus name “Justpassing though” infects 10 people and 9 die. That is a death rate of 90%.
              Lets assume this virus has an incubation period of 30 days and is highly contagious. In 30 days there are 100 people infected and 30 days later they infect 10 thousand.
              That means the death rate would be around 9 thousand.

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