Coronavirus: A Dangerous Geo-Political Blame Game Erupts

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Coronavirus death rate may be lower than previously thought

This doesn't mean we shouldn't worry about this. It's still much more deadly than the flu and spreads much, much faster. It still dwarfs the flu many times over.


By Yasemin Saplakoglu - Staff Writer a day ago

The death rate from COVID-19 is likely around 0.66%, if counting the mild or asymptomatic cases, according to a new study

In this new study, to figure out the true "infection fatality ratio" — the mortality rate that includes the people with mild cases who may have not been counted before — the researchers looked to data from people who were flown back to their various countries from Wuhan, China during the outbreak.

Those repatriated people were given PCR tests — tests which detect specific genetic material within the virus, according to a previous Live Science report. They also used data from Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers who also received PCR testing. Since these tests were given to people who didn't necessarily show symptoms, the researchers were able to estimate the prevalence of such cases.

Consistent with previous research, the new study also found that the death rate varied greatly by age. While the death rate was around 0.0016% in 0 to 9-year-olds, it increased to about 7.8% for people who were age 80 and above.

The researchers also found that nearly 1 in 5 people over the age of 80 infected with COVID-19 were likely to require hospitalization whereas only 1% of people under 30 were likely to be hospitalized.

"Estimating the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 in real time during its epidemic is very challenging," Shigui Ruan, a professor in the department of mathematics at The University of Miami wrote in an accompanying commentary. But the infection fatality ratio "is a very important piece of data that will help to guide the response from various government and public health authorities worldwide."

More: https://www.livescience.com/death-rate-lower-than-estimates.html

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking...

It's April 1st. Thought we could all use a laugh:

Governor DeWine Announces Closure of ALL Alcohol Sales in Ohio