Virus was Direct Cause of Death for 89% of Italian Covid-19 Victims

ROME, KOMPAS.com – A study released on Thursday revealed that the novel Covid-19 virus directly caused the death of nine out of 10 Italian Covid-19 victims.

The findings shed new light on the coronavirus pandemic that has significantly hit Italy’s northern regions.

The national tally of Italy’s Covid-19 deaths is approximately 35,000 fatalities.

Since its first infections in February, the country’s health authorities have said that the majority of Italy’s Covid-19 death was due to pre-existing conditions.

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A fierce public debate arose on whether Covid-19 virus was the culprit of the victims’ deaths.

The study was published by the Superior Health Institute and National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) in which other information revealed that 89 percent of the 4,942 victims in the sample directly died from the Covid-19 virus.

The remaining 11 percent of Italy's Covid-19 deaths had coronavirus but died as a direct result of other medical conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia.

However, the virus might have aggravated their condition and accelerated the death of the victims. 

The study was based on deaths reported at the end of May when Italy had already loosened its rigid lockdown rules.

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Pneumonia was observed in 79% of the people whose deaths were directly tied to coronavirus and was the most common complication for Covid-19 patients, followed by other respiratory diseases.

The report showed Covid-19 was also fatal for some people who did not have any underlying health problems.

"In 28.2% of the cases analyzed, there are no other causes of death," the report said.

Italian sports looking ahead

Italy’s sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora hopes that sports fans would be able to enter football stadiums come September, but not before.

Vincenzo stated to the Italian Senate that authorities are still devising a plan to manage the flow in and out of stadiums while respecting physical distancing measures.

The top two divisions of the Italian league, Serie A and B, restarted in June and all matches have been played without spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The season is due to finish in early August and there had been some hope that fans could be allowed back before then.

"For the reopening of the stadiums we believe we must continue along the cautious line that has been followed so far," said Spadafora.

"We are working hard with the federation and the league so that in September, at the start of the new season, there is a way to reopen the stadiums to the public."

Spadafora said that while stadiums could accommodate several thousands fans comfortably, there were still risks associated with managing the flow.

"The danger would be to allow 10,000 or 12,000 spectators to enter in the same place," he said. "It would be necessary to understand how to manage this flow." 

(Writer: Brian Homewood, Angelo Amante | Editor: Giles Elgood, Ken Ferris) 

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy-study/virus-was-direct-cause-of-death-for-89-of-italian-covid-19-victims-idUSKCN24H2VZ

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-soccer-italy/italy-sports-minister-hopes-fans-can-return-to-stadiums-in-september-idUKKCN24H31Z