Mortality From Coronavirus: How Things Really Are

Mortality from coronavirus: how things really are

The World Health Organization reports that the global mortality rate from coronavirus infection COVID-19 is 3.4%. Previously, this figure was estimated at 2%. Let's figure out what is known today about the risk of death from this disease and what factors increase it.

Photo: Anagoria / CC BY 3.0 / 7745

The World Health Organization reports that the global mortality rate from coronavirus infection COVID-19 is 3.4%. Previously, this figure was estimated at 2%.

“Globally, about 3.4% of known cases of COVID-19 have ended in death. In comparison, seasonal flu kills less than 1% of those infected,”said WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Ghebreyesus at a briefing.

The New York Times suggests that the data takes into account deaths from the disease that happened outside of China: in Italy, Iran, South Korea and other countries.

In February, when the largest number of new cases of COVID-19 was detected in China, the WHO reported a death rate in Wuhan of 2-4%, outside it - 0.7%. The organization noted that in different countries, the number of victims of the virus may differ.

Based on information that was available as of Feb 11, the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 2.3% death rate from COVID-19. This report provided the first data on who is at risk of increased mortality.

According to this February data, age was the most significant risk factor for death from COVID-19. Over the age of 80, 14.8% of patients died, 70-80 years old - 8%, 60-70 years old - 3.6%, 50-60 years old - 1.3%. For younger people, the mortality rate was much lower: from 0.2-0.4%.

Among the diseases that increase the likelihood of death from coronavirus infection, the Chinese Centers for Disease Control named cardiovascular diseases (by 10.5%), diabetes mellitus (by 7.3%), chronic lung diseases (by 6.3%), hypertension. (by 6%), cancer (by 5.6%).

The World Health Organization report, which reflects data from February 16 to 24, is more alarming. It states that concomitant cardiovascular diseases increase the risk of death from COVID-19 by 13.2%, diabetes by 9.2%, hypertension by 8%, chronic lung disease by 8%, cancer by 7. 6%.

Professor Vladimir Nikiforov, chief infectious disease specialist at FMBA of Russia, shared epidemiological data on COVID-19 on his Instagram. He posted a graphic diagram of the relationship between the risk of death and age.

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, wrote in an article in the New England Journal of Medicine on February 28 that the real mortality rate among COVID-19 patients is likely to be lower. This is due to the fact that many cases of a mild course of the disease are now not taken into account by statistics. He suggested that the mortality rate is unlikely to exceed 1%.