Why Deaths from Coronavirus Are So High in Italy

Scientific American ^ | March 10, 2020 | Rachael Rettner

[nickcarraway]

The nation now has the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 outside of mainland China

Editor’s Note (3/19/20): Italy reported 427 more deaths from the coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, raising the total from 2,978 to 3,405 in one day—now the highest number of deaths worldwide.

Deaths from the new coronavirus in Italy have soared in recent days, with the country reporting 463 total fatalities from the virus, out of 9,172 confirmed cases, as of Monday (March 9). But why are deaths in the country so high?

Outside of mainland China, Italy now has the highest number of deaths in the world from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. And the country’s fatality rate from COVID-19—at 5%—is much higher than the global average of 3.4%, according to the World Health Organization.

One factor affecting the country’s death rate may be the age of its population—Italy has the oldest population in Europe, with about 23% of residents 65 or older, according to The New York Times. The median age in the country is 47.3, compared with 38.3 in the United States, the Times reported. Many of Italy’s deaths have been among people in their 80s, and 90s, a population known to be more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19, according to The Local.

The overall mortality rate is always going to depend on the demographics of a population, said Aubree Gordon, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. In this case, the reported mortality rate is not “age standardized,” which is a way to adjust for the underlying demographics of a population, she said.

Given Italy’s older population, “you would expect their mortality rate to be higher on average, all else being held equal,” compared with a country with a younger population, Gordon told Live Science.

[alexander_busek]

It is that the garment industry in northern Italy has close ties with Wuhan China. There was an article about this a week or two ago.

Yes - but even if there are a quarter of a million "off the books" Chinese in Italy, spreading the disease... There are still one and a half billion Chinese in Mainland China. So the death rate there, in China, should still be six thousand times higher.

Regards,

[brookwood]

I don’t have the statistics for Italy, but I do have them for NYC and its not pretty.
Finally we have proof of the deadliness of Covid19 from NYC.
NYC had 53,006 deaths from all causes in 2014

NYC had 2,220 deaths from Influenza and Pneumonia in 2014

https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Health/New-York-City-Leading-Causes-of-Death/jb7j-dtam

Another rough estimate for number of deaths in NYC every year,
from Quora - 1 death every 9 minutes, 158 per day, 57,000 per year

https://www.quora.com/How-many-people-die-in-New-York-every-day

So roughly 158 people die in NYC every day and 2220/100 = 22 die every day of influenza and pneumonia every day assuming a 100 day flu season.
For overall deaths there is very little seasonality. March is 108% of the average death rate for the year.
http://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-trends/article/yes-its-true-more-people-die-in-january

90% of NYS deaths from Covid19 so far were in New York City

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/new-york-coronavirus-cases-updates.html

There were 95 Covid19 deaths in NYS 3-25 so about 81 in NYC - compared to 158 deaths from all causes on an average day and 22 deaths from flu on an average day during flu season.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Covid19 killed 4 times as many people in NYC yesterday as die on an average winter day from the flu. It caused a number of deaths equal to 50% of the average number of deaths FROM ALL CAUSES.

[brookwood]

Please provide a link to anything which establishes that your crackpot nonsense is true. These people are coughing their lungs out when they die, not falling off a ladder or being hit by a bus.

[AzNASCARfan]

Ding, Ding, Ding... Winner of this thread!

Actually, Northern Italy has the largest population of Chinese immigrants who work in the leather factories they sold to China in the 80’s/90’s/00’s they also also have direct flights to/from China to support the families and workers. That is why they are the epicenter in Europe for the Chinese Virus.

[Steve Van Doorn]

Italy distributed the SARS vaccine of 2004 by Chiron Corporation whom distributed hundreds of millions of these vaccines. They where based on Antibody dependent enhancement which makes those that took it much easier to get life threatening infections
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibody-dependent_enhancement

[AppyPappy]

And they celebrated their diversity by hugging Chinese people to show they weren’t racist

[Mozzafiato]

While Italy is #2 in eldest population (22.8% over age 65) it is way behind Japan (28.2%) and Germany (with few reported Covid deaths) is not far behind at 21.4%.

As far as smoking rates, Italy is outside of the top 50 nations in the world, and behind other European nations like Germany, Spain, France, etc.

So, I don't attribute their death rates to age or smoking. I attribute it to them having the large Chinese immigrant population in the north working in the textile industries. China's secrecy allowed tens of thousands, if not more, travelers from Wuhan area to Italy. This caused the virus to be pushed to Italy's population rapidly. Coupled with a not great Italian healthcare system, regardless of what the World Health Organization thinks (Italy ranked #6 in quality).

Sources:
https://www.prb.org/countries-with-the-oldest-populations/

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/smoking-rates-by-country/

[Grimmy]

The information is out there. Find it yourself. Or, just keep slurping down whatever you’re told by the very same people that keep telling you communism is the best thing ever.

Oh, and FYI: I did not, in any way, shape or form, say or insinuate that there are no actual coronavirus deaths.

I did say, and continue to say, that the stats are being padded by the very same people that lie to you and the rest of us every day on every issue all the time for decades now.

[allwrong57]

Mine is Sicilian on her mother’s side, and one of her brothers married a girl who immigrated with her family from Palermo when she was 13, so I’m surrounded by them, but it’s been all good for 35 years or so.

[Irish Eyes]

https://uncoverdc.com/2020/03/20/why-italy/

Excellent article.

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Thanks for posting the link to the article it is a good one

[Still Thinking]

That’s right. And what about gropy?

[pax_et_bonum]

She did a great job, didn’t she?

You’re welcome!