There have been a number of underlying health conditions linked to patients who have caught the coronavirus and subsequently died from it in Los Angeles County. Among them are health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. Los Angeles County says 57 new deaths from COVID on Thursday, according to Public Health Officials.

In total, LA County has seen 5,446 deaths since the coronavirus began to spread in California back in March. Of these 5,446 deaths, as many as 92% of them had underlying health conditions. More than 2,000 of the complete number had diabetes, and as many as 3,000 had hypertension. This was all relayed by Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the Chief Medical Officer of LA County, through an online briefing.

The Importance of Public Health Right Now

With revelations that the vast majority of deaths in LA County from COVID are compounded on existing health conditions, there has never been a better time to stay on top of public health. The trouble is, with mandated lockdowns sending people in and out of their homes, it’s difficult for the average citizen to make regular trips to their doctor.

More Common Than You Think

Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser explained that health conditions like diabetes and hypertension are actually more common than people think. This means that while the severity of the coronavirus is increased if a person has existing medical issues like this, sadly, it’s becoming an all-too-common scenario. 

The risk of people catching the virus and passing away is high if their immunity has already been compromised by something else. The trouble is, some of these people might not even realize the risk bracket that they are in. Gunzenhauser says that these people go shopping, and go to work, and could be any of us. Therefore, we all have a certain level of responsibility to protect them and keep them safe from catching COVID.

Other Underlying Health Conditions

As well as diabetes and hypertension, other underlying health conditions can compromise a patient’s immune system to the point that they could be in trouble if they catch the virus. These include obesity, asthma, liver disease, and cardiovascular issues.

Public Health Officials said on Thursday that people over the age of 65 make up most of those who have died from the coronavirus so far. However, there are younger people who have compromised immune systems who are suffering severely, too.

At Home Testing

There are a number of at-home health tests that can be conducted while honoring the stay-at-home order. From an at-home herpes test to diabetes, UTI, or flu test, they’re all available online through various organizations. This is one of the better ways to maintain public health when it’s difficult to do so through traditional methods.

Officials have indicated that there is still a backlog of cases from the state whose process is still pending. This means that more data on who makes up the coronavirus death tally right now is not immediately available. What is, though, is the realization that the most vulnerable need to be kept safe.

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