key: cord-0800208-8laq47gw
authors: Lippi, Giuseppe; Mattiuzzi, Camilla; Sanchis‐Gomar, Fabian; Henry, Brandon M.
title: Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients dying from COVID‐19 in Italy versus China
date: 2020-04-10
journal: J Med Virol
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25860
sha: 7afeb12a48bbbe2aa4c94f3d27e35042c60607c1
doc_id: 800208
cord_uid: 8laq47gw

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), an infectious outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2),(1) has now progressed to global pandemic.(2) Besides the compelling need to understand the novel biological pathways underlying the virulence and pathogenicity of SARS‐CoV‐2 in humans to enable the development of appropriate interventions and therapies,(3,4) the noticeable difference in mortality rates between Asian and European populations is one of the most significant issues demanding the attention of biologists, epidemiologists and clinicians around the world. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Three leading factors are reported to strongly influence the risk of dying from COVID-19: male sex, advanced age (i.e., >60 years), and the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. 5 Since the frequency of these factors may vary across different populations, we compared and summarized the impact of these variables on COVID-19 mortality rates between Italy and China. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

should be reinforced in countries with similar demographics. 11 Overall, COVID-19 mortality risk increases with age, especially in men older than 60 and with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. A global expert group shall hence be formed, aimed to provide guidance and aid in response to COVID-19 in elderly individuals in both residential facilities and nursing home. 12 

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This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Accepted Article