Hypertension, diabetes most common comorbidities in covid19 deaths

EPIDEMIOLOGIST Dr Avery Hinds said hypertension and diabetes are the most common comorbidities observed in people who have died of covid19.

He was speaking at the Ministry of Health press conference on Wednesday.

He said other pre-existing conditions found in covid19 deaths included asthma, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and malignancies from different types of cancer.

“As we speak about comorbidities, we do want to emphasise sometimes people are not aware of pre-existing conditions because they have not been going to the doctor,” said Hinds.

“Not knowing you have a comorbidity is not the same as not having one.”

He said about 77 per cent of all who died from covid19 would have had one comorbidity or another, with more found in men than in women.

Among the fatalities, he said, there was a decrease in the number of men. He said where 75 per cent of men were dying of the virus, which has come down to about 60 per cent, with the majority of those in the 60 and over age group and many with pre-existing conditions.

He warned that people should not think because they are in the younger age group they are safe.

“Be aware that when you are diagnosed if there are any changes while home monitoring, the earlier you reach out the better your chances of survival.”

He said once a patient in home isolation notices changes such as shortness of breath or fatigue they should immediately reach out to the healthcare system to be reassessed and in so doing, improve their chances of survival.