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appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 12:52 PM Apr 2020

New Orleans' Coronavirus Death Rate Is Nearly 3 Times New York's: Coronavirus & Obesity

Why is New Orleans' coronavirus death rate nearly three times New York's? Obesity is a factor. Reuters, April 2, 2020.

(Reuters) - The coronavirus has been a far deadlier threat in New Orleans than the rest of the United States, with a per-capita death rate almost three times that of New York City. Doctors, public health officials and available data say the Big Easy’s high levels of obesity and related ailments may be part of the problem.
We’re just sicker,” said Rebekah Gee, who until January was the health secretary for Louisiana and now heads Louisiana State University’s healthcare services division. “We already had tremendous healthcare disparities before this pandemic – one can only imagine they are being amplified now.”



Along with New York and Seattle, New Orleans has emerged as one of the early U.S. hot spots for the coronavirus, making it a national test case for how to control and treat the disease it causes. Chief among the concerns raised by doctors working in the Louisiana city is the death rate, which is close to three times that of New York and over four times that of Seattle, based on publicly reported data.

New Orleans residents suffer from obesity, diabetes and hypertension at rates higher than the national average, conditions that doctors and public health officials say can make patients more vulnerable to COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. Some 97% of those killed by COVID-19 in Louisiana had a pre-existing condition, according to the state health department. Diabetes was seen in 40% of the deaths, obesity in 25%, chronic kidney disease in 23% and cardiac problems in 21%. Orleans Parish, which encompasses the city, reported 115 deaths as of Wednesday, giving it 29.5 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people. That rate for New York City was at 10.8 on Wednesday.

New Orleans could be a harbinger for the potential toll the pandemic could take in other parts of the South and Midwest that also have high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. A host of other factors could contribute to New Orleans’ high death rate from COVID-19, ranging from access to healthcare and hospital quality, to the prevalence of other conditions, including lung disease, health officials say. But they also note that it is clear that obesity-related conditions are playing a role in the deaths. That could be a warning sign for the United States at large, where chronic obesity is more common than in other developed countries, they said.
Hospitals are reporting cases across the generations -mothers and daughters, fathers and sons - being intubated and cared for in the same intensive care units...

More, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-new-orleans/why-is-new-orleans-coronavirus-death-rate-seven-times-new-yorks-obesity-is-a-factor-idUSKBN21K1B0

- Also: The Coronavirus's Unique Threat to the South
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016251111

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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brewens

(13,392 posts)
2. Boy did I ever pick the right year to lose a bunch of weight. Actually about the last 18
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:06 PM
Apr 2020

months. I'm down 130 with about another 20 to go. I've also been walking and lifting a lot, so I'm in way better shape of course. I'm 59 and wasn't that fat for all that long. It's scary, but at least I feel I improved my chances if I do get it.

appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
4. Terrific job, good for you. If ever there was a time to lose weight,
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:19 PM
Apr 2020

get fit and stop smoking it's now.

brewens

(13,392 posts)
5. I'm also off BP meds and blood thinners, and they cut my anti-cholesterol in half. I just refilled
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:35 PM
Apr 2020

that for 90 days, and it turned out to be 180 since I'll be cutting them in half. I don't have to a pharmacy until they run out. Plus I go in again in six months to hopefully get off that too, so I may not even need to get a refill.

It's kind of funny that after 18 months of torture, I have to pay co-pays for the doctors appointments to get me off the meds and save my insurance company a shit ton of money. The bastards should be giving me about a $1000 bonus! But I guess I'm happy with things as they are.

appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
6. Improving your health and saving$$ is great. Some yrs ago I
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:45 PM
Apr 2020

remember Penn Jilette the entertainer saying he went off tons of meds after losing a bunch of weight.

* Did you have a special diet, or mainly reduced portions?

I need to renew a simple low carb, hi protein diet plus walking that I used a while back.

brewens

(13,392 posts)
9. I started out just cutting portions. That stopped working so I started seriously counting
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 02:22 PM
Apr 2020

calories and cutting carbs. That made me come up with a whole new menu of regular meals. A go through a ton of produce now. You get to eat a lot more of the right stuff.

Now I'm totally used to have all the good stuff to load up omelets, salads, soft tacos and more. I can't see even wanting to go back to my previous canned and prepackaged diet. If I put weight back on, it will at least take a lot longer.

appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
11. Counting calories is best, and we can eat more whole, healthy food
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 02:40 PM
Apr 2020

once you get away from the junk, packaged stuff.

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,450 posts)
13. I lost over 50 pounds
Sun Apr 5, 2020, 12:38 AM
Apr 2020

Now I am very close to my ideal weight. Still diabetic tho. I keep my sugar levels between 80 and 100 .
Been diabetic 3 years and determined to keep the fat off.
Size 44 down to 34.
Haven't needed insulin.

I do keto.
Glad I lost the weight too.

 

degage

(103 posts)
3. This will be bad for all those red states w/poor health
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:13 PM
Apr 2020

The red states, especially the Southern ones, have some of the worst ratings on health in the nation. They're poised to be hit hard.

Trump is killing his most ardent supporters.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
7. Louisiana also has a high prevalence of smokers, past and present.....
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 01:53 PM
Apr 2020

along with several other states including Kentucky.

Interesting reference page on Wikipedia on this topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_tobacco_use#United_States




Being a former smoker and being exposed to years of industrial pollutants increases our risks of serious consequences should we contract this disease. Not being a hypocrite here, as I'm a prime example.

KY...........

Runningdawg

(4,494 posts)
8. Obese people have always been descirnimitated against in health care
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 02:07 PM
Apr 2020

I say this a retired nurse. For every obese person that dies, I would be willing to bet another could have been saved by a Dr who didn't think he was doing the world a favor by refusing them care. They aren't the only group who are widely discriminated against, don't think the Dr doesn't check your chart to see if you are insured and by which company. Harsh reality.

appalachiablue

(41,047 posts)
10. Valuable info. and quite an eye opener. This would be a good post for
Thu Apr 2, 2020, 02:28 PM
Apr 2020

here in the 'Health' section if you want to share some true, but harsh reality. Many thanks.

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