Study says most coronavirus cases mild, elderly most at risk

The largest study released so far on Tuesday on the outbreak of coronavirus originating in China suggests that most cases are mild and that sick and elderly people are most at risk.

China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday published a study of more than 70,000 Covid-19 cases, including confirmed, suspected and asymptomatic cases.

The National Health Commission counted 72,436 infections and 1,868 deaths across the country as of Tuesday.

The study put the overall death rate from the virus at 2.3 per cent, with the age group most at risk being elderly people.

It also said that patients with pre-existing health conditions also faced a higher risk of death than those without previous conditions.

The death rate was 14.8 per cent for people above 80 years old, falling to 8 per cent for people between 70 to 79 years old and to 3.6 per cent for those between 60 and 69 years old.

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However, for the age group between 10 and 39, the death rate was at 0.2 per cent, rising to 0.4 per cent for patients between 40 and 49 years old.

Data analysis of a sub-group of about 20,000 people showed that patients without any prior medical conditions had a 0.9-per-cent fatality rate.

Meanwhile, patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases had a 10.5 per cent mortality rate, followed by diabetes patients at 7.3 per cent and patients with chronic respiratory disease, among whom the death rate was 6.3 per cent.

According to the study, the majority of the cases, 80.9 per cent, showed mild symptoms, while 13.8 per cent of the cases were severe and 4.7 per cent were critical.

The study also showed that medical professionals were at higher risks than the general public.

Out of 1,688 medics who have contracted the Covid-19 disease, 14.6 per cent of the cases were severe and critical, while the death rate was at 0.3 per cent.

(dpa/NAN)