According to figures from the Cause of Death Register, almost all patients in Norway who died after being infected with the coronavirus also had a chronic disease.
The National Institute of Public Health (FHI) has now reviewed statistics on deaths for the first three months of the coronavirus pandemic.
The figures are preliminary, so the picture may change somewhat when more information about the cause of death comes in.
From March to May, 236 corona-related deaths were registered in Norway.
Most were over 70 years old
Nine out of ten patients (equivalent to 215 people) had a chronic illness in addition to the coronavirus, and an equal proportion were people over 70 years of age.
By looking at the data in a simplified manner, one can say that for these 215 deaths (around 91%), COVID-19 is considered the actual factor that led to death.
However, one cannot say anything about how much the other causes of death have contributed to the end result, Marianne Sørlie Strøm at the Cause of Death Register at the FHI noted.
Only 4% of the deaths occurred outside health institutions.
The largest counties – Oslo, Viken, and Vestland – had the most deaths.
Half had cardiovascular disease
More than half of those who died of COVID-19 had cardiovascular disease.
Slightly more than one in three had chronic lung disease, and one in four had dementia.
In many of the death cases, more than one chronic illness has been reported.
No disease has been reported in only 26 cases.
“This does not necessarily mean that the deceased did not have other diseases, but in that case, the doctor assessed that these diseases have not contributed to the death,” Strøm explained.
There were 32 deaths among people under the age of 70 during the first three months of the pandemic.
Many of these patients also had chronic diseases along with the coronavirus.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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