Kenya's COVID-19 mortality accelerated by diabetes, hypertension

Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-03 01:27:10|Editor: huaxia

NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A majority of patients in Kenya who died from COVID-19 had diabetes, hypertension or both, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday, as it warned those with the conditions to exercise caution.

The death tally stood at 152 on Thursday as three more people succumbed to the respiratory disease.

"The majority of people who have succumbed to COVID-19 had underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. These are non-communicable diseases whose burden to the health system is on the rise," Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Health, told journalists in Nairobi.

"Chances of dying from COVID-19 if one has both diabetes and hypertension are very high unlike if one has only one of the conditions," said Patrick Amoth, director-general in the Ministry of Health.

He noted that fewer people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya had died from COVID-19 due to the anti-retroviral drugs they are taking, which helped boost their immunity.

On Thursday, Kenya's COVID-19 caseload gravitated towards the 7,000 mark after the country recorded 268 new cases, raising the tally to 6,941. Enditem

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