A study by "Israel Today" reveals that it was among other things heart disease and diabetes • Prof. Moti Ravid: "The biggest risk group for mortality from Corona is a group of people with respiratory deprivation who manifest in chronic lung disease or asthma."

Following the two tragic deaths yesterday of the two youngest patients to date who have passed away from Corona - Tamar Peretz Levy (49), mother of 4-year-old twins, and Pizzat Babian (50), mother of three - raise concerns and question marks about the same "background diseases" from which Suffered. The "Israel Today" test reveals that background diseases are sometimes a banal disease that about a third of the population over the age of 40 is dealing with, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

All 21 people who have died in Israel have had various background illnesses - from diabetes to cancer or autoimmune disease.

Despite repeated inquiries to the Ministry of Health, and although the data is in their possession and transferred from the hospitals - we did not receive information.

"Israel Today" test for the background diseases of which 18 out of 21 people died in Israel, shows that eight of the 18 patients who have died of diabetes to date, eight have hypertension, and seven have suffered from cardiovascular disease (such as heart failure, peripheral vascular disease) . Five patients were diagnosed with dementia, or a brain event or cognitive decline, and four had lung disease. Other health conditions included liver disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer - all of them in one patient.

Two of the deceased had five background illnesses, including neurological conditions, one died of four illnesses, two of the deceased had three illnesses, eight had two illnesses and five had one background illness.

The World Health Organization figures show that the coronary mortality rate for people with cardiovascular disease is 10.5%. Among patients with diabetes, the likelihood of death increases by 7.3%, and in chronic lung disease patients the risk of mortality increases by 6.3%. Also, in patients with hypertension, the risk of reproduction increases by 6%, and among cancer patients, the risk is 5.9% higher, with the mortality rate of people without a background disease being 0.9%.

The Ministry of Health has so far avoided making specific recommendations for patients with various illnesses, and only a general recommendation has been given to people over the age of 60 to avoid leaving home and not coming in contact with young family members.

As to whether there are recommendations for patients with specific illnesses, Prof. Itamar Grotto, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, replied last week that "at present there is not enough cumulative information available for specific population recommendations."

"We know that the death rate among diabetics and smokers who are infected in Corona is twice as large as their age, based on data from the world and research from South Korea," explains Prof. Moti Ravid, director of the "Springs of Salvation" hospital in Bnei Brak. This means that if the risk of death of a person aged 40-49 is estimated at 0.4% - a person of that age who smokes or has diabetes doubles his / her mortality rate to 0.8%.

He adds that "The greatest risk group for coronary mortality is for people with respiratory deprivation who manifest themselves with chronic vision or asthma. These are people whose head can be oxygenated. The other big group is heart disease, they also impair lung respiration. In addition, we see that in about a third of cases, the corona virus attacks the heart and causes myocarditis that can cause serious damage.

"Anyone who has had previous heart attacks may not be able to hold on. The public is largely confused by patients with chronic illnesses. It is important to know that there are also patients with chronic illnesses such as liver or kidney disease, organ transplant patients, autoimmune patients, and people at chemotherapy and after that who are at risk."