96% of Italy's Covid-19 fatalities suffered from other illnesses

PanARMENIAN.Net - The coronavirus outbreak in Italy has struck overwhelmingly among the nation’s older population and those with preexisting medical conditions, according to the national health authority.

Almost 96% of the country’s virus fatalities had previous medical conditions, data from Italy’s ISS health institute show, according to Bloomberg.

The ISS, which publishes a range of studies on the outbreak including a detailed weekly report, confirms a trend seen since the beginning of the emergency, with the average age of Italians who’ve died from the virus at around 80.

“The latest numbers show that new cases and fatalities have a common profile: mostly elderly people with previous illnesses,” ISS chief Silvio Brusaferro said at a news conference Friday.

With over 32,000 deaths and more than 230,000 cases, Italy was the original European epicenter of the pandemic. The country began emerging from a nationwide lockdown on May 4, when about 4 million people went back to work.