Hypertension, diabetes discovered to be commonest underlying circumstances in L.A. County COVID-19 deaths

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High blood pressure and diabetes were the most common underlying conditions among patients with comorbidities who died from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, health officials said Wednesday.

Having an underlying disease can greatly increase the risk of death from COVID-19, and about 85% of Angelenos who have died from the virus have had at least one comorbidity, which is one or more additional illnesses, according to a press release.

The most common was high blood pressure, which occurred in 52% of deaths. Another 41% of those who died had diabetes and 26% had cardiovascular disease other than high blood pressure.

Neurological disease was the fourth most common pre-existing condition, found in 21% of those who died and 16% in chronic kidney disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

“People living with chronic illnesses suffer the worst consequences of COVID-19 infection,” the department said in a statement. “These numbers should remind us of the importance of ensuring equitable access to health care and the other resources that reduce people’s vulnerability to this virus.”

People with such underlying illnesses were able to get a vaccine in California on March 15 because the risk of death from the virus was higher. For more information on how to find a vaccine appointment in Southern California, which is now all 16 and over, click here.

Chronic illness was also a leading indicator of COVID-19 hospital stays. Approximately 87% of patients treated for the virus in LA County from August through January had at least one comorbidity.

The most common pre-existing condition in hospitalized patients was cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, which was observed in 66% of patients.

Diabetes followed, which was found in 42% of those in the hospital, and 36% of those who died were obese, according to the Department of Health.

Another 57 coronavirus deaths were reported in LA County on Wednesday, bringing the number of pandemics to 23,553.

As of Wednesday, around 500 people across the country had been battling the virus in hospitals across the country, around a quarter of them in intensive care.

However, health officials pointed to an encouraging figure: as more elderly residents were fully vaccinated, the rate of hospitalization for people 80 years and older has decreased by 96%.

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