OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare COVID19 and not-COVID19 related mortality rates in two Italian regions during the pandemic period when the same isolation rules and therapeutic approaches were introduced for all hospitals in Italy. Risk factors for not-COVID19 related deaths during the pandemic were analyzed; we tried to assess a possible correlation between reducing hospital visits and “deferrable” vascular operations and the increased cardiovascular mortality not related to COVID19 infection. METHODS: We analyzed COVID 19 and not-COVID 19 related mortality rates in two Italy regions in the period January 2020 - January 2021. We compared mortality rates during the pandemic period with those of the previous five years. We tried to determine the factors involved in increased mortality rates during the pandemic period. RESULTS: Despite the same isolation rules for people and the same therapeutic approaches for hospitals, mortality rates did not increase in the region Lazio where the pandemic was not severe. In the region Lombardy the mortality rate was doubled in comparison with the previous years and 50% of the increase was related with not-COVID19 deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in mortality rates for not-COVID19 related deaths in the region Lombardy was connected to the generalized turmoil in the acute phase of an overwhelming pandemic, including diffuse stress, inadequate communications, reluctance to ask for medical help unless symptoms were severe, unexpected inadequate number of health workers, hospital and ICU beds. Reduced hospital visits may have had a fundamental role.
Reduced Vascular Practice And Increased Cardiovascular Mortality For Covid19 Negative Patients