Schizophrenia is the second-highest risk factor for Kovid-19 dying after old age, new research shows.
Mental health status nearly triples the risk of dying from Kovid-19 compared to a healthy person between the ages of 18 and 44.
The only group of people at higher risk of death than those suffering from schizophrenia are older people, who, despite comradesities, are more likely to die.
Scientists have not yet fully understood why people with schizophrenia are at increased risk, but believe that it may disrupt their immune response due to a genetic defect.
People living with schizophrenia live on average for two decades with no mental health problems and the disease is also aggravated due to exercise, obesity, smoking and side effects of some schizophrenia medications.
Other conditions include an increased risk of death including heart failure (60 percent increased risk), high blood pressure (38 percent) and diabetes (27 percent).
Males were found to have a 69 percent higher risk of death than women and non-Whites (Black, Asian, mixed breed) had a 47 percent higher risk than Whites.
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Mental health conditions nearly tripled the risk of dying from Kovid-19 when compared to a healthy person between the ages of 18 and 44. Other conditions increase the risk of death, including heart failure (60 percent increased risk), hypertension (38 per cent) and diabetes (27 percent).
New York University researchers studied the anonymous health records of more than 7,000 hospitalized Kovid-19 patients between March and May 2020, 75 of whom were clinically diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Mortality was defined as death or discharge within 45 days following the result of a positive test for coronovirus.
The study’s lead author, Dr. “Our findings suggest that people with schizophrenia are highly vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19,” says Caitlin Nemani.
‘With this new understanding, health care providers can better prioritize vaccine delivery, testing and medical care for this group.’
University of Manchester professor Sean Lewis, who was not involved in the study, said: ‘This is a good, robust study with important findings.
‘We have known for some time that the life expectancy of people suffering from schizophrenia in the UK has decreased by 18–20 years compared to the general population.
‘This frightening statistic is largely due to increased rates of cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic disease in people with schizophrenia as a result of exercise, obesity, smoking and the side effects of certain drugs.
‘This latest discovery highlights that now better preventive care should immediately focus on this incredibly vulnerable and disadvantaged population. They should be given immediate priority for vaccination. ‘
Currently, the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization has given more than 50 people a pocket priority, as well as healthcare workers and the clinically highly vulnerable, who are in the fourth priority slot with a priority of over 65.
This group includes people with ‘severe mental illness’, who are not currently listed as clinically extremely insecure, with no priority over people receiving the vaccine.
The clinically vulnerable group includes chronic kidney disease and diabetes, providing a 1.23 and 1.27-fold increased risk of death from Kovid, respectively. It is dwarfed by the figure of 2.67 for schizophrenia.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘Used to identify situations that may be medically extremely debilitating, agreed by four UK chief medical officers and the latest available Reflecting evidence.
‘Physicians in the NHS can add any patient to the shielded patient list, based on their own clinical judgment and an unbiased assessment of their needs.’
The clinically highly vulnerable vaccine priority group included people with chronic kidney disease and diabetes, who were found to have a 1.23 and 1.27 higher risk of death from Kovid than a healthy person. This is dwarfed by the figure of 2.67 for schizophrenia (stock)
The President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Drs. Adrian James said: ‘The fatal consequences of Kovid-19 on people suffering from schizophrenia are very worrying and should serve as a catalyst to ensure that vaccines are offered to at-risk groups of people. First chance.
‘Residents in the community should be supported during the vaccination process, while not forgetting about those in mental health wards or residential settings or left behind.
People already living with a serious mental illness die on average 20 years earlier than the general population. The government should do all it can to protect people suffering from severe mental illness, intellectual disability and dementia from Kovid-19. ‘
While people with schizophrenia were found to have a much higher risk of death, those with anxiety and mood disorders did not.
This, the researchers say, indicates that there may be an unknown underlying mechanism that puts people with schizophrenia at high risk.
Dr. Nemani states that it may be an immune system disorder, possibly tied to the genetics of the disorder.
“Now that we have a better understanding of the disease, we can investigate more deeply what, if any, immune system problems may contribute to the high mortality rates observed in these patients with schizophrenia.” ‘Says senior writer Dr. Donald Goff in NYN Langoni.
Stephen Buckley, head of information, Mind, said: ‘While we welcome research into the relationship between serious mental health problems and Kovid 19, more robust research is needed worldwide, including in the UK.
Research leading to better health outcomes and quality of life for people with mental health problems is welcomed.
के It has never been more important for people with mental health problems to get the support they need and need.
‘Anyone diagnosed with schizophrenia who is concerned about what effect coronoviruses may have on their health should talk to their doctor to review their condition.
‘UK research has shown relationships between covid19 and factors such as poverty and ethnicity, so it is really important that all of these links are better understood.
“In England, people suffering from serious mental illnesses are 4.5 times more likely to die before they reach age 75, if they don’t get the right support, it’s really important that we try to understand the reasons Let’s get behind these bad health outcomes. ‘
The study was published today in JAMA Psychiatry.
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