BEIJING: Doctors have been simultaneously treating patients for COVID-19 infections and existing health conditions to minimize the risks of complications, according to the National Health Commission.
Jiao Yahui, head of the NHC’s medical administration bureau, said most severe COVID-19 patients also have existing health conditions, with 40.7 percent having one preexisting condition, 24.6 percent having two and 34.8 percent having three or more. Most involve cardiovascular, endocrine or respiratory issues, she said at a recent news conference.
More than 90 percent of the 59,938 patients who died at hospitals between Dec 8 and Jan 12 had existing health conditions such as cardiovascular or metabolic diseases, late-stage tumors or kidney failure, she said.
The average age of the deceased was 80.3 years, Jiao said. The health of elderly people who have respiratory and cardiovascular diseases often worsens in winter, and complications from COVID-19 have led to a large number of deaths among the elderly, she said.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
