Authors: Cornelli Umberto, Belcaro Giovanni, Cesarone Maria Rosaria, Recchia Martino, Cotellese Roberto.
Background: COVID-19 still represents a very serious problem in Italy.
Objective: To correlate the COVID-19 deaths in Italy with clinical, therapeutic, demographic and social variables.
Material and Methods: The data of positive cases and deaths due to COVID-19 from 1st March to 4th May in Italy were taken from the official documents and collected for clinical, therapeutics, demographic and social variables. The correlations were calculated in linear terms.
Results: The COVID-19 outbreak had affected the most productive areas. In a period of less than 2 months 211,938 subjects were found positive and 29,079 people died (13.7 %). The peak of the curves was reached within 3-4 weeks and the decline over time seems to be asymptotic. The entire life cycle of the virus is expected to minimize in about six months provided that adequate measures will be maintained.
Positive correlations were found with pneumonia, cancer and infective diseases, while no correlation was shown for heart ischemic and musculoskeletal diseases or viral hepatitis. In relation to drugs, significant negative correlations were evident with those used in many chronic diseases and flu vaccination.
Significant positive correlations were shown with population density, GDP, river kilometers and domestic water consumption.
Conclusions: COVID-19 is behaving like an independent disease, particularly affecting the most prosperous regions and causing a higher number of deaths, 80 times more than that of the seasonal flu. Therapies for some chronic diseases and the seasonal flu vaccines have been shown to have a positive impact. The influence of water in terms of viral spread is still an overt problem to be solved.
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