Almost 90% of the deaths of coronavirus positive people in Italy were caused by Covid-19

For nearly nine out of ten patients with a positive swab, the direct cause of death was Covid-19. For the remaining 11%, death was caused by other diseases. Here are the new data from the Istat-Iss report just published

(photo: Jonas Güttler / picture alliance via Getty Images) Covid-19 was the main cause of death in coronavirus-positive people nine times out of ten. This is one of the most relevant data of the new report by Istat and the Higher Institute of Health (ISS). Impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on mortality that has just spread and which seeks to put a point to the discussion that began at the beginning of the pandemic on distinction between deaths from and with the coronavirus: in other words, experts argue that the death would not have presumably occurred if the Covid-19 infection had not occurred. "Based on the analysis conducted, Covid-19 is the directly responsible cause of death, that is, the initial cause (defined according to WHO as the cause that started the chain of events that led to death, ed), in 89% of the deaths of people positive for the Sars-Cov-2 test ", the report reads. "In these cases, death is therefore directly caused by Covid-19, albeit often superimposed on other pre-existing diseases, and its complications."

The remaining 11% of deaths are attributable to other diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (4.6%), tumors (2.4%), diseases of the respiratory system (1%), diabetes (0.6%), dementias and diseases of the digestive system (0.6% and 0.5% respectively). "In the remaining 11% of cases, death can be considered due to another disease. In these cases, Covid-19 is however a cause that may have contributed to the death by accelerating morbid processes already underway, aggravating the outcome of pre-existing diseases or limiting the possibility of treatment ", the report states.

The survey was conducted on the basis of the information given by the doctors in 4.942 cards of death in patients positive to the new coronavirus (or 15.6% of the total of deaths reported to the surveillance System integrated Iss, until may 25). From the data it emerged that the amount of deaths in which the Covid-19 is directly responsible vary according to the age : it reaches a maximum value of 92% in people between 60 and 69 years of age and a minimum of about 80% in patients aged less than 50 years . Also, cards of death analysed, it was further highlighted a marked gender difference: 3.108 (63%) refer to the male sex, while 1.834 women (37%).

And still: about 70% of the deaths had at least one contributing factor (31% a, 26% two and 13% three or more). The diseases that are associated with the new coronavirus , have contributed more frequently to the death are heart disease hypertensive (18% of deaths), diabetes mellitus (16%), ischemic heart disease (13%), tumors (12%). With frequencies of less than 10%, in addition, there are chronic diseases of the lower respiratory system, cerebrovascular diseases, the dementia or Alzheimer's disease and obesity . While with regard to the complications the main there are the pneumonia and the respiratory failure , but not the sun: there are, although less frequent, also shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, cardiac complications, sepsis, and infections that are not specified.

However, as pointed out by the experts, Covid-19, is a potentially fatal disease, even without additional factors . Almost a third of all deaths, in fact, is only due to the new coronavirus , and there is therefore the presence of other causes that may have contributed to the death. “There are, in fact, contributing causes of death pre-existing Covid-19 in 28.2% of deaths analyzed, the percentage being similar in the two sexes and in different age-classes” , according to the report. “Only in the age group 0-49 years, the percentage of deaths without causes is lower, at 18%,” concludes the Iss.