Analysis of data for over 10,000 COVID-19 decedents in the United States found that a majority were aged over 65 years and most had underlying medical conditions, according to a report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.
According to data on 10,647 COVID-19 deaths in 16 public health jurisdictions, which occurred between Feb. 12 and April 24, 34.9 percent of Hispanic and 29.5 percent of nonwhite decedents were aged below 65 years, compared with 13.2 percent of white, non-Hispanic decedents.
Among decedents aged below 65 years, a total of 7.8 percent died in an emergency department or at home, according to the CDC.
COVID-19 mortality is higher in persons with underlying medical conditions and in those aged over 85 years, said the CDC.
Understanding factors contributing to racial or ethnic mortality differences and out-of-hospital deaths might inform targeted communication to encourage persons in at-risk groups to practice preventive measures and promptly seek medical care if they become ill, said the CDC.
More than 3,144,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States with the fatalities surpassing 133,600 as of Friday afternoon, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Enditem
