Covid 19 Elepant in the Room?

Mr_Pot said:

I think they may have had medical conditions that were not on their records, so unknown, or conditions that aren't disease like being overweight, smokers, of ethnic origin etc.

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Totally. It's fairly safe to assume that 'insulin resistance & metabolic dysfunction' isn't on any list of preexisting conditions.

Max68 said:

interesting table taken from BBC website. Does this suggest diabetes is below those with no underlying health conditions on the risk table? Confusing.

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It is confusing isn't it? As an aside, I note that all of the existing conditions above the 'no existing conditions' are those conditions where you would imagine the person is permanently ill in the sense that they have an ongoing heart problem, etc. For diabetes, is it that even though people with diabetes have caught it, many are surviving it like a person without any conditions maybe because it is controlled? In other words, well controlled diabetes gives you no more risk of dying from it than anyone else? x

KK123 said:

In other words, well controlled diabetes gives you no more risk of dying from it than anyone else? x

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I think so. Certainly with regard to typical type 2 pathology (hyperinsulinemia) I would imagine there are 'diabetics' on these boards who are better positioned to withstand the virus than a good portion of those in the wider world with undiagnosed, rampant metabolic derangement.

This is where I feel the information isn't good enough when talking about "underlying health conditions". What would really help to assess someone's risk would for it to be phrased "Known underlying health condition" and "Hidden Underlying health condition". As Jim says above anyone on meds or treatment for say diabetes, heart issues etc "may" be better off than those who are assumed healthy but the data isn't there to know for sure.

Max68 said:

This is where I feel the information isn't good enough when talking about "underlying health conditions". What would really help to assess someone's risk would for it to be phrased "Known underlying health condition" and "Hidden Underlying health condition". As Jim says above anyone on meds or treatment for say diabetes, heart issues etc "may" be better off than those who are assumed healthy but the data isn't there to know for sure.

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If you had an accurate risk factor would it make a difference rather than the broad division into low risk, medium risk, high risk that we have now? Either you, social distance, self isolate or shield there is no need to exactly match your behaviour to your relative risk.

Max68 said:

interesting table taken from BBC website. Does this suggest diabetes is below those with no underlying health conditions on the risk table? Confusing.

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I read it as more of the deceased people had none of the pre existing conditions being counted than had diabetes as a factor in their death. Not overly surprising really.

Max68 said:

interesting table taken from BBC website. Does this suggest diabetes is below those with no underlying health conditions on the risk table? Confusing.

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Yes, it is confusing. The chart is showing the proportion of Covid-19 deaths in each category but it doesn't tell you the proportion of each category in the general population.

For example, something like 10% people in the UK over the age of 60 have diabetes and something like 40% do not have a long-term condition. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projec...sability-long-term-conditions-multi-morbidity If Covid-19 affected these 2 groups equally, we would expect the proportion of Covid-19 deaths to be 4 times higher in the 'do not have a long-term condition' group than in the 'have diabetes' group.

Edited for typos.