Top Africa health insurer says Covid increases heart-related deaths sixfold

Discovery Employee Benefits, a unit of Johannesburg-based Discovery Ltd, which has more than half a million customers, said 112 people died of cardiovascular complications through June. That compared with 17 years in the two years before South Africa recorded its first case of coronavirus, the figures were shown to Bloomberg.

“Analysis of our annual claims data reveals an increase in the incidence of heart disease-related deaths among our client base,” said Guy Chenles, head of product at Discovery Employee Benefits, in a separate statement. increase in the incidence of cancer deaths,” he said.

Discovery attributed the rise in deaths to a confluence of pandemic problems. This includes longer covid stays, a range of physical ailments that can occur after a respiratory disease infection, a 50% reduction in medical check-ups during that time, and people exercising less.

South Africa faced severe waves of coronavirus infections during 2020 and 2021 and imposed several restrictive lockdowns, curtailing the movement of people. Nevertheless, one in 500 South Africans died of the disease according to excess death statistics, which measure the number against historical averages.

It said the number of cancer deaths rose to nearly six from two a month before the pandemic. Channels said that this happened due to lack of assessment and testing of people during the pandemic.

Heart deaths among customers in the division are projected to rise to 31 by June 2021, before nearly quadrupling the following year.