Ballad: CDC report on 94% of COVID-19 death linked to people with comorbidities “not surprising”

Ballad Health officials say recent CDC coronavirus information added in its weekly update linking 94% of COVID-19 deaths with one or more comorbidities is not a surprise.

That recent update from the health agency concluded nearly all deaths from the virus was the result of the simultaneous presence of more than one chronic disease or condition in a person, such as having COVID-19 and pneumonia. Chief Infection Prevention Officer Jamie Swift said there’s misinterpretation with that new data that people assume the deaths are only in older people who were critically ill that are dying from contracting COVID-19, which she stated is not true

“These are deaths that are preventable, so if these people had not gotten COVID-19, the expectation is that they would be alive today,” said Swift.

Swift also mentioned many of the people in our area would fall into that 94%. Ballad Chief Physician Executive Dr. Clay Runnels reaffirmed that statement, saying approximately 30% of the adult population in the region is considered obese, with at least 22% of school children in Tennessee also obese, which could be a driving factor for poorer health conditions that could result in having one or more comorbidities, putting those individuals at a higher risk of death if they were to contract COVID-19, in line with CDC findings.

Runnels urges everyone to examine their health and look towards adopting healthy choices like better diet and exercise.

Photo Courtesy: Ballad Health