A report from the Ministry of Health (Minsa) that collects information from March 9 to June 7, when 393 deaths from the new coronavirus had been recorded, specifies that the risk factor associated with the highest number of deaths (123) it was age (over 60 years old). That represents 36.1% of the total deaths.

The second determining risk factor in deaths from Covid-19 in those three months was cardiovascular problems, with 73 deaths; and the third factor, metabolic diseases, with 54.

In the group of metabolic diseases are diabetes, fatty liver, obesity, high blood pressure, among others.

The document also details that in 47 deaths - 11% of deaths - there was no associated risk factor. This means that almost 9 out of 10 people who died at the time from Covid-19 had another associated risk factor. The rest of the deaths (96) of the mentioned period were associated with lung, kidney, asthma, among other ailments.

According to Public Health expert and former representative of the World Health Organization, Jorge Luis Prosperi, diseases of the circulatory system, especially high blood pressure, together with diabetes mellitus, obesity and smoking, are so far the main diseases concomitants and risk factors present in the majority of deaths from Covid-19.

Age is also reported, but I suspect that many of the people in whom age is reported as the only risk factor, suffered from a concomitant disease and, probably, they did not know it, because our care model is focused on detecting patients and therefore identifies as such those who go to hospitals in to find treatment because they feel sick, said Prosperi.

According to Prosperi, much more must be done to detect risk factors, prevent chronic diseases and promote healthy lifestyles.

Prosperi recalled that in Panama obesity and overweight are also a serious public health problem, as evidenced by the latest results of the Minsa Preventive Health Census, a measurement that in his opinion should be taken up and improved. This Census detected in 2018 that 45% of the population was overweight, 38% had hyperlipidemia, 35% was hypertensive, and 13% diabetics.

He also mentioned that according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, more than 12,000 people over the age of 65 die every year in Panama.

Prosperi concluded by stating that in addition to all these risk factors, the socioeconomic problem must also be included as another risk factor to make a better analysis of the situation with the virus.

According to the director of the Metropolitan Health Region, Israel Cedeño, the new coronavirus has a high lethality, especially in people with risk factors.

For this reason they hold workshops in the communities to detect the disease as soon as possible. Moreover, he stressed that several days anticipating the serious stage of the disease can be decisive in saving the lives of those infected, because in a significant number of patients, symptoms manifest themselves five or six days after they are infected. That is, when the disease is advanced.