Although a new trend of the virus seems to say that the number of new cases of Covid-19 is going down, it can’t be considered a step closer to the end of it. For the past 14-days, the number of new cases reported has fallen outside the epicenter of the outbreak. The new coronavirus might change its turn and burst again, possibly even more fiercely. One can never know what course it might take, so al the precautions must remain active.
Statistics don’t help to understand the dramatism of the new pandemic. While the mortality rate of Covid-19 is smaller than the two former killing viruses, SARS and MERS, the number of individual deaths is overwhelmingly higher: over 1800 people. Only five of the deaths occurred outside China.
That is higher than the number of victims SARS and MERS together. 774 deaths caused by SARS and at least 828 by MERS. If one looks at the rates, it might believe that Covid-19 is gentler than its relatives: 2.3% mortality rate of Covid-19 as opposed to 9.6% that of SARS or the 35% that of MERS.
The new coronavirus, Covid-19, spreads faster than flu and SARS
Influenza kills 290,000 to 350,000 each year, but its mortality rate is 0.1%, as it infects millions of people. Covid-19 spreads at full speed, more than 72,000 infected people were reported. This makes it the most contagious virus of the three. Confirmation of infection has been also made on asymptomatic patients. One of the most exposed parts of the population is the medical staff: over 3000 cases of infection.
Also, 889 people showing no symptoms caught the virus, and that poses even more threat to the healthy population. Older people, as well as the ones with cardiovascular affections, are the ones highly exposed to the fatality of the illness, studies reveal.
“In 2% of reported cases, the virus is fatal, and the risk of death increases the older you are. We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO.
