A report developed by experts from Canada, Chile and Argentina, among which participated doctors from the Ramón Carrillo de Bariloche hospital, determined the characteristics that predispose a person to develop a serious condition or even die from Covid-19.
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The study was carried out by the German Hospital (in Buenos Aires), the Epistemonikos Foundation (in Chile), McMaster University (in Canada), the Bariloche public hospital and the National Directorate for Quality in Health Services and Sanitary Regulation of the Ministry of Health (Argentina)
“Covid-19 infection does not affect everyone equally. Most develop a mild condition or even have no symptoms; other people evolve to a severe picture with high risk of death”, Stresses the report which aims to take measures to minimize risks.
The report covers a review of 207 studies, with 75,607 patients, which allows to compare the characteristics of people who, being infected with Covid-19, developed severe symptoms.
Age, male sex, and smoking are three of the risk factors. As pre-existing conditions, the cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, respiratory diseases and diabetes, among other pathologies.
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“This information, they argued, can be useful to physicians and those responsible for managing health policies to adapt management strategies for patients with covid-19 infection.”
Every 10 years of age, mortality in covid-19 patients increased by about 6%. Male sex is another biological factor that presented a 5% more chance of dying than female. Active smoking, on the other hand, had a 4.3% influence on mortality in relation to those who never smoked.
The report specifies that a history of cardiovascular disease increases mortality to 12.6% in a case of covid-19. The same occurs with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), with 9.8%; chronic kidney disease, with 8.8%; high blood pressure, with 6% and diabetes, with 5.6%.
Obesity also increases the risk by 3% and active cancer implies 2.7%.
Fernando Tortosa, head of the Medical Department of the Ramón Carrillo Hospital, assured that “this study was a great collaborative effort between people from institutions throughout the Americas and allows us to improve decision-making in daily practice as well as develop better forecasts that can be used as powerful tools. “
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