Could This Explain Why the Coronavirus Death Rate in Italy is so High?

Townhall.com ^ | March 21, 2020 | Bronson Stocking

[Kaslin]

An adviser to Italy's minister of health, Professor Walter Ricciardi, said the coronavirus death rate in Italy may be higher than in other countries not only because of demographics -- Italy has the second oldest population in the world -- but also because of the way Italy records deaths of those who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

"The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus," Prof. Riccardi told The Telegraph.

"On re-evaluation by the National Institute of Health, only 12 percent of death certificates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, while 88 percent of patients who have died have at least one pre-morbidity - many had two or three," the professor explains.

The professor is not alone, as others say it's way too early to know the true mortality rate so long as the number of mild cases in the country remains unknown.

Italy's older population may also explain the large number of deaths being attributed to the coronavirus.

"The age of our patients in hospitals is substantially older - the median is 67, while in China it was 46," the professor says. "So essentially the age distribution of our patients is squeezed to an older age and this is substantial in increasing the lethality."

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 87 percent of the deaths in Italy attributed to the coronavirus and 40 percent of known infections have been people 70 years of age or older.

The coronavirus obviously poses a threat to the health and well-being of people all around the world, but it's probably a good idea to balance the panic and all the dire forecasts with a little bit of critical thinking.

[xp38]

All this is saying is statistics can be manipulated. Finding what is true and accurate is a detective work. We’ve known this from the way political polls are conducted for ages here on FR.

[central_va]

These were thousands of Chinese infested in Italy .

They were brought there to undercut Italian wages and to "displace" Italian workers.

[devane617]

I don’t get this article. It’s clear there’s an uptick in deaths in Italy—grave diggers are way behind, so, why explain the uptick away? This is not normal for Italy yet this article makes it no big deal.

[polymuser]

"“The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus,” Prof. Riccardi told The Telegraph."

Poorly written, that. Open to two interpretations. I interpret it the other way than you do. Reporters today :(

[Codeflier]

“Since I am healthy but have three of the conditions specified as high risk...”

I think by definition, you are not healthy then.

[4Runner]

There is a lot of misinformation regarding Italy on this thread. What I haven’t seen mentioned is the fact that the U.S. and European fashion industry has for years been using thousands of Chinese laborers shipped to sweatshops in the areas around Milan to produce clothing and shoes, some of it high end.

This “arrangement” allows the industry to attach the label “Made in Italy” to these products even though there are no longer any Italian artisans involved in the process as was once the case.

This has been a premium selling point for the fashion industry.

The Chinese laborers live in Italy and periodically travel back and forth between China and Italy. This has been going on for years and is what has made up the bulk of the Coronavirus cases in Italy.

The dirty little secret that continues to be underreported. Bottom line this problem arose due in large part to maximization of profit by Western business owners.

[Kaslin]

What does this have to do with the virus?

[PeteB570]

Point being - they are all under control.

If I get the virus and die it will be the cause. If I don’t get the virus I’m projected to live many more years.

Of course I could get in a car crash caused by a drunk driver and die tomorrow but it will not be caused by my pre existing medical conditions.

[livius]

I wonder how accurately they diagnose it, or if anyone with flu-like symptoms is considered to have CV. I think there was a regular seasonal flu circulating in Italy before this.

[Vaquero]

It’s the sauseech and a the Braciole. Donta forget the mootsadell.

[TheConservativeBanker]

In that regard, I was in Kroger this morning (Richmond, VA area) to get food that my wife is able to eat (restricted diet because of Huntington’s Disease). While there, I was able to talk to a number of store employees who confirmed that panic buying is still going on. Everyone of them said that most customers who shared a reason stated that distrust of government, not fear of the Chi-Com virus was behind their panic buying. Before any of our hysteria lovers jump in, I am well aware that this is anecdotal evidence which did not come from a double blind, randomized study.

[cnsmom]

The question should be who has a better chance of survival without a ventilator.

[4Runner]

Please read my comment #26. It answers your question.

[Celtic Conservative]

With most statistics I try to dig into the methodology involved. It’s very telling when people releasing statistics either won’t give you the methodology, or try to qualify certain statements about the methodology used beforehand.

CC

[null and void]

I'm sure that letting families break quarantine to be with their dying relatives has nothing to do with the rapid spread of Wuhan Virus in Italy.

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

The false positive rate was 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's or one old fart’s life, it's worth it.

[ZinGirl]

https://www.rebellionresearch.com/blog/northern-italy-wuhan-partners-for-better-or-worse

[billyboy15]

When this is finally over the American people as well as those the world over will see what a ride we have all been taken for by the shameless media.

Of course the fact the majority of people are only too willing to go along with the bs (so many of them right here) doesn’t help matters.

[kabar]

Actual the death rate for Italy is normal if you look at the yearly trend over time.

Italy Death Rate 1950-2020

Italy is an aging country, the second oldest in the world.

[bramps]

Bottom line is, most of those people in Italy wouldn’t be dead no if there was no chinavirus.

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The correct summation.

[HypatiaTaught]

Excellent article.

Thank you for posting.

This is my BIGGEST worry. Are we really destroying our country’s economy for something that MAY be as bad as the Spanish Flu?

Remember, with the Spanish Flu, it was mostly the young that died. With the Chinese Flu, it is with the elderly.

I don’t want anyone to die, but I fear by killing our economies, there may be much more destruction and death indefinitely.