Common Health Conditions that May Increase Risk of Complications from Coronavirus

Case studies on patients that have contracted COVID-19 have found that older patients with preexisting health conditions more commonly develop severe symptoms. Here's what we know about how various health issues may affect coronavirus:

• 1. According to a report on patient characteristics from Italy's National Institute of Health released on March 17th, 99% of COVID-19 patients who have died in the country had at least one preexisting condition.

1. In Italy, 76.1% of patients who died from COVID-19 had hypertension, or high blood pressure.

   1. About one-quarter of people who died from the coronavirus in Italy had atrial fibrillation.

   2. Diabetes was the second most common condition among COVID-19 patients who died: 35.5% had the illness.

   3. Of those who died in Italy, 20.3% had active cancer in the past five years.

   4. The study found that 18% of people who died had chronic kidney disease.

   5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — or lung diseases such as chronic emphysema and bronchitis — was present in 13.2% of the people who died.

   6. People who previously had a stroke made up 9.6% of COVID-19 patients who died in Italy.

   7. In Italy, 6.8% of COVID-19 patients who died had dementia.

   8. Chronic liver disease was the 10th most common underlying condition among COVID-19 patients who died.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/hypertension-diabetes-conditions-that-make-coronavirus-more-deadly-2020-3