age, death profile, young people affected in France

Covid-19 continues to spread in France and claims more and more victims: more than 106,000 people tested positive for coronavirus and more than 17,000 deaths have been recorded. How old are the victims? Does the disease strike over 60s? Sometimes children? More men than women?

[Mis à jour le jeudi 16 avril à 14h22] Every day, the balance of cases of coronavirus increases in France: more than 106,000 contaminations have been recorded, more than 31,000 people are in the process of hospitalization and the country deplores more than 17,000 deaths to date. In stage 3 of the epidemic since Saturday March 14, France is in confinement until May 11 officially, announced Emmanuel Macron in his speech on Monday April 13. With the increase in the number of cases, particularly serious, we list more and more precisely the consequences of the virus and it is easier to determine the people most at risk as well as the most 70 years old or those with cardiovascular or respiratory pathologies. However, severe forms of Covid-19 also exist in young, healthy people. So who is affected by this pandemic? Who dies the most? At what age ? Over 60 or before? To be able to protect yourself better, it is important to know the profile of people at risk. Age, sex, diseases at risk … Robot portrait of the victims of Covid-19.

Among the cases confirmed and isolated on April 9 according to the bulletin of Public Health France:

• It has been estimated that 36,305 new cases of COVID-19 have consulted a general practitioner week 14 (March 30 to April 5). Themedian age of these cases is 54 years.
• Among the number of medical acts for suspected COVID-19 reported by SOS Doctors associations from March 30 to April 5, 53% have been reported in 15-44 year olds, 25% in the 45-64 age group and 8% in the 75 and over age group.
• The mean age of patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 from March 23 to April 3 was 61 years old (61.5 years in the hospital, 61 years in the city). The data confirmed the low number of children tested positive in town as in hospital.
• From March 30 to April 5, 27,027 emergency room visits for suspicion of COVID-19 have been reported by the OSCOUR network: 23% among 45-64 year olds and 19% among those 65 and over.
• Since March 16, 2,218 serious cases have been reported by 137 resuscitation. Themean age of cases was 60 (19% were aged 75 and over). The average age of the deceased was 71 years. Among the cases admitted to intensive care, 61% of the cases presented at least a comorbidity. Of those who died, 90% had at least one comorbidity. The most frequently reported comorbidities were heart disease (42%), diabetes (32%) and lung disease (27%).

Here is the age distribution of the confirmed cases of Covid-19 admitted to intensive care from March 16 to April 5, 2020 in France

2% of those infected are children or adolescents. “Severe forms in young people are extremely rare”, says Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health in his update on March 25. Dr. Pierre Parneix, public health doctor expert on the Covid-19 explains that most of them are not very symptomatic, even carriers of the virus without even knowing it (they are said to be healthy carriers). “However, they can be disease vectors, hence the importance of not bringing them into a community of fragile people, such as retirement homes, and of teaching them to wash their hands well frequently “ insists the specialist.

Among the youngest victims:

• March 25, 2020, a 16 year old girl died of coronavirus contamination at Necker-Enfants Malades hospital in Paris. He is the first minor victim in France.
• March 28, 2020, a baby under one year old died of a Covid-19 infection in the United States, announced Illinois state authorities. It is the first infant death of the virus in the United States.
• March 29, 2020, a 14 year old Portuguese teenager infected with Covid-19 died at São Sebastião hospital in Santa Maria da Feira, 30 km south of Porto.
• March 30, a 13 year old teenager died in the UK after being “tested positive for Covid-19, placed under respiratory assistance and immersed in an artificial coma “, informed on Tuesday March 31 the hospital in which he was hospitalized. He is the youngest known victim in the United Kingdom.
• March 31, a 12 year old girl died of Covid 19 in Belgium, announced the Belgian authorities. The girl had had a fever for three days and had been “tested positive” for the coronavirus. It is the youngest victim identified in a European country.
• On Friday April 10, the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, announced the death of a 6 year old boy infected with coronavirus in Île-de-France. “There are multiple causes of death “ he said. He is the youngest victim of Covid-19 in France.

From March 1, 2020 to April 7: 3,975 deaths transmitted electronically to Santé Publique France contained a mention of COVID-19 among the documented medical causes of death. Themedian age of death was 83 years and 74% were 75 and over. The males accounted for 57.7% of these deaths. Comorbidities were reported for 64% of death certificates. Among these comorbidities: a mention of arterial hypertension in 28% of death certificates and a mention of cardiac pathologies in 34% of certificates. Out of all certified deaths, 3% of those who died had no co-morbidity and were under the age of 65.

Since March 16, 2,218 serious cases have been reported by 137 resuscitation. Theaverage age of deceased was 71 years old. Among them, 90% had at least one comorbidity. The most frequently reported comorbidities were heart disease (42%), diabetes (32%) and lung disease (27%).

• Mortality rate of the virus: The lethality rate of coronavirus differs from that of SARS (virus responsible for a serious epidemic in 2002-2003 and which is 80% genetically identical to the new coronavirus): “For the Sras we consider that 10% of those who were infected died. With this new coronavirus, the clinical estimate is 2%. For the influenza we are rather around 1 per 1000” said Professor Arnaud Fontanet of the Institut Pasteur during a round table in the Senate on February 26, 2020. These figures may be revised with the evolution of the epidemic.

• Diseases at risk

Certain underlying diseases increase the risk of developing a serious form of Covid-19 infection. In a notice of March 10, 2020, the High Council of Public Health listed these risky pathologies:

• Cardiovascular illnesses (complicated hypertension, stroke, CAD, history of heart surgery, NYHA III or IV stage heart failure)
• Diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetics who are unbalanced or have complications secondary to their pathology)
• Chronic respiratory diseases (asthma, cystic fibrosis …)
• Chronic renal failure
• Cancers (people on treatment)
• Cirrhosis at least stage B
• HIV infection uncontrolled
• Morbid obesity (BMI greater than 40kg / m²)

• In Italy, men account for 70% of deaths. The average age is 79.5 years, according to data from the Higher Institute of Health (ISS)

* The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Emergency Response Epidemiology Team. The Epidemiological Characteristics of an Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) – China, 2020[J]. China CDC Weekly, 2020, 2 (8): 113-122.

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