Covid is the second leading cause of death in the period March-April 2020
, with a number of deaths slightly lower than that of cancers and more than double that of ischemic heart disease, according to the Istat report on excess mortality in the period of the first wave .
In the period of time considered, in addition to Covid, deaths increase for almost all the main causes of death compared to what was observed in the same period of the previous five years.
The largest increase in the frequency of deaths is seen from pneumonia and influenza.
For this group of causes over 95% is represented by pneumonia.
In March-April 2020
there were 49,000
excess deaths in Italy
compared to the average of the same months in the previous 5 years
.
60% is attributable to Covid (29,210), 10% to pneumonia and 30% to other causes.
Thus Istat in the report on the causes of death in the period of the first wave.
Deaths from pneumonia tripled and those from dementia, diabetes and hypertensive heart disease increase
.
Of the total deaths from Covid, 85% are over 70, one in 5 between the 50-59 year-olds.
The increase in deaths is differentiated by place:
+ 155% in residential or social welfare structures
, + 46% in care institutions, + 27% in the home.
The increase in mortality was concentrated above all in the North-West regions
, where the first epidemic outbreaks exploded - the report reads - in this area the deaths in this area were 34,449 deaths with a doubling of cases and a due effect rather limited aging (+1,833 deaths).
The death certificates compiled by doctors with information on the place of death and the diseases that caused death are collected throughout the Italian territory and codified by identifying the initial cause of death.
In the two months considered, the deaths directly due to Covid-19 amounted to 29,210, equal to 60% of the excess mortality.
Over 20 thousand more deaths are instead attributable to other causes.
The 29 thousand deaths from Covid-19 represent 18% of the mortality of the period.
The average age of deaths from Covid-19 is 80.2 years, one and a half years lower than the average age of the total deaths (81.6 years).
In the Northwest, Covid-19 is responsible for a third of total mortality, almost 19,000 deaths, 64% of all Italy's Covid-19 deaths.
About 20% (6 thousand) of the deaths concern residents of the Northeast, while the remaining 16% is distributed in the rest of the country.
The certificates with mention of Covid-19, both as a contributing cause and as an initial cause, are in total 31,939: in 92% of cases Covid-19 is the directly responsible cause of death, in the remaining 8% Covid-19 is present, but the death occurred from another disease.
