Beyond the numbers: Alberta doctor discusses pre-existing conditions in COVID-19
CBC
The Alberta death toll from COVID-19 is mounting daily, and the province has now passed 2,600 deaths.
When Alberta Health releases information on who has died, it often notes the person's age and whether or not they had a pre-existing condition.
Dr. Philippe Couillard, ICU medical director at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, says that term includes any severe illnesses that puts the entire body under pressure.
This could mean immuno-deficiency, a heart condition, cancer or lung, kidney or bone marrow disease.
"You could imagine that a pre-existing condition makes you a little less resilient, or not as strong to fight for your life," he said.
Couillard cautions against using the term pre-existing conditions as a buffer to how serious the virus is. Pre-existing conditions are a lot more common than people think, and everyone is at risk of having a pre-existing condition.
About one in five Canadians has high blood pressure alone. Couillard says that, along with diabetes, are the most common pre-existing conditions he sees in ICU.
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