WHO Lists Diseases That Cause COVID-19 Deaths

The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 and 2020 has already affected over 7 million people in the world and led to over 400,000 deaths. However, not all COVID-19 patients have the same risk of dying from the disease. Here are 7 diseases and conditions that, according to the WHO, can increase the risk of a COVID-related death.

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1. Heart conditions

Various heart diseases pose a high risk of dying in every day life, but they become even more dangerous in case the patient contracts COVID-19. According to the data from numerous researchers, patients suffering from high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions are more likely to develop life-threatening complications from the coronavirus due to the strain the disease puts on the already imperfect heart.


Read more: Why Africa Will Not Experience Massive Deaths From COVID-19


2. Age

One of the first reported risk factors of the coronavirus was age. To put it simply, the older the patient is, the harder it is for them to overcome COVID-19 and the higher the risk of complications is. This is particularly true for people over 65, who, despite not having any severe conditions that can worsen the course of COVID-19, still die from the coronavirus at a higher rate than their younger counterparts For patients over 85, the risk of dying from the coronavirus can be as high as 25%.

3. Genetics

This is by far the most unpredictable and least-researched factor leading to COVID-19 deaths, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that genetic conditions may play a crucial role in the outcome of a patient getting infected with the coronavirus. For example, the number and potency of genes leading to building ACE2 receptors determine the number and severity of COVID-19 symptoms in a patient.

4. Blood type

The link between COVID-19 and blood type of the patient has not been officially found yet, but more and more doctors and researchers notice a similar pattern in which blood types seem to be more likely to contract the coronavirus and die from it. Those blood types belong to the A group and include A-positive, A-negative, AB-positive, and AB-negative. At the same time, people with O blood types are less likely to get infected and develop COVID-19 complications.


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5. Smoking

You cannot do anything about genetics or your blood type to lower the risk of dying from the coronavirus, but this death factor is easily preventable and can contribute to your long and healthy life overall, not just in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Chinese researchers, only 4.7% of nonsmokers developed coronavirus complications, as opposed to the 12.3% of smokers who required intensive therapy.

6. Diabetes

Diabetes, and type 2 diabetes in particular, may not affect the possibility of contracting the coronavirus. However, it can significantly influence the outcome of the disease. According to the data from the US, diabetic patients are 3.7 times more likely to develop complications from the coronavirus or even die compared to patients with no blood sugar-related conditions.

7. Obesity

Obesity is another factor that significantly influences the possible outcome of getting infected with the coronavirus. The data from Chinese and US hospitals suggests that obese patients are twice as likely to develop lung complications or even due from COVID-19 as patients with normal body weight.


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My name is Inna. I am a content writer with an English and literature background. As a mother of a 4-year old son, I love learning about children’s health and development, as well as finding new interesting toys and activities for my little one. I am also in love with all things tech and always keep my finger on the pulse of new smartphone and gadget releases. Another big passion of mine is beauty and makeup – every day I read about new trends in skin care and makeup and always look forward to trying them. Plus, I love pop culture, travelling, crafts, and anything that can make our daily life more thrilling!