"Coexisting diseases" - we have been hearing this phrase for several months since the first victims of COVID-19 were recorded in our country. This wording is also used by the Ministry of He alth to communicate the daily number of victims. Scientists have found that some comorbidities make COVID-19 more severe. Which diseases are affected and how much of the population is at risk?

For some time, the Ministry of He alth has slightly changed the form of its message and, by listing the number of fatalities, divides them into:

  • he althy people who died from COVID-19
  • people with COVID-19 coexisting with other diseases

Importantly, there are usually a few people in the first group, and several dozen in the second.

So far we have heard almost exclusively about the deaths of people who had "comorbidities". So what does this concept mean?

Coexisting diseases contributing to the more severe course of COVID-19

Scientists at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic noticed a correlation between higher patient mortality and certain chronic diseases. They are what is referred to in the context of COVID-19 as "comorbidities". So what diseases most predispose to a more severe course of coronavirus infection, or even death?

During the webinar in early October, Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, a well-known immunologist, provided the latest data on the risk of death from COVID-19. Among the most aggravating diseases are:

  • hypertension
  • diabetes
  • ischemic heart disease
  • atrial fibrillation
  • kidney failure
  • dementia
  • PoChP
  • cancer in the last 5 years
  • heart failure
  • obesity
  • respiratory failure

See also: Current statistics on the coronavirus in Poland

Coexisting diseases - the scale of the phenomenon

The he alth status of patients is determined on the five-point ASA scale, where 1 is only given to completely he althy patients, usually young people, not yet burdened with any chronic diseases.

As the well-known anaesthesiologist Jakub Sieczko argues on his fanpage, "patients (excluding the young) receive 1 relatively rarely on the ASA scale - and there are really few patients over 55 or 60 years old who can be assessed in this way For several dozen years of life almost everyone has been diagnosed with some comorbid disease- not necessarily life-threatening. 19 onyears of life, often long and in good shape . These people were killed by SARS-CoV-2, and the comorbidities their chances of defeating the infection decreased. "

Meanwhile, the media coverage suggests just the opposite - as if all these people were to die soon anyway.

The doctor also quotesalarming statisticson chronic diseases in our country:

  • hypertension has from9 to 17 millionadult Poles
  • diagnosed with diabetes3 millionsick
  • obesity is already about25%society

As you can see, these numbers should not be underestimated - chronic diseases (also known as comorbidities) affect most of our society, and yet many people suffer from several chronic diseases at the same time.

Is there any way toincrease your chances of fighting the coronavirus ? According to the doctor, the prescription is very simple: "Eating well, controlling blood pressure, maintaining a he althy body weight and taking medications for chronic diseases are some of the best things we can do for ourselves in this pandemic."

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