Updated: 10 Apr 2020
Readers asked an important question, what were the chances of survival, were someone contracted COVID-19 Coronavirus.
No one really knows, but here are some facts.
Young or old the virus will infect anyone it gets a chance to whenever we let our guard down. The factors that lead to higher chances of fatality are,
Age, pre-existing health issues with Cancer, Cardio vascular disease, diabetes, place of residence and work, government policies and their ability to enforce them.
Age factor
World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a global ‘snapshot’ death rate of 3.4 percent.
China has the most experience and The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) reported an age wise death rate of patients
80s - 14.8%
70s - 8%
60s - 3.6%
50s - 1.3%
49 and below 0.5%
As on 10th April 2020, WHO reports for some other countries are
USA 3.6% ,
Italy 12.7%, UK 12.3%, Netherlands 11%, France 10.3%, Belgium 10.1%, Spain 10.1%
Iran 6.2%, India 3.3%
Medical workers have a higher rate of fatality at 8.6% most of which are retired senior and elderly staff returning back to work to help cope with the crisis.
CCDC study also shows the following fatality rates for people with these pre-existing medical conditions.
10.5% - people with cardiovascular diseases
7.3% - for those with diabetes.
6.0% - sufferers of chronic respiratory disease and hypertension
5.6% - for cancer patients was 5.6 percent.
If you fall into any of those categories, it might be time to start ‘socially distancing’ yourself to be on the safe side.
Gender factor
Males are 60% more likely to die from infections than females.
In summary
The challenge for societies is to contain the spread of the virus and that is why we have to cooperate and support our society and government in every possible way that we can.
The beauty and tragedy of young people is, they thing they are invincible. However if they are negligent they often carry the virus to those who may not be able to survive the infection. The probability is high because they are more mobile and interact with others more frequently and with greater intimacy.
The chances of acquiring the infection depends on how governments and societies respond and how seriously they take it. If people follow the advice of some Muslim clerics like Ayatollah Tabrizian who advise applying essential oils to the anus as a cure or some people like Hindu Mahasabha leader Swami Chakrapani Maharaj suggests drinking cow urine as a prevention measure, we could expect big trouble.
Thankfully the leadership and people in most countries do not follow these suggestions and diktats of such people, but rather of their leaders and government.
A video #IndiaFightsCovid19 vividly shows how the virus travels in our day to day life and how to remain safe, and helpful to watch and learn.
We humans are very resilient creatures. Just live life normally, some people may get infected all healthy people with some care will survive and humanity will emerge somewhat stronger and ready for the next global crisis which awaits us beyond the horizon.
Coronavirus COVID-19 is not the end of life, its just a beginning of a new chapter
The illustration used in this article was, created at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the Virion, when viewed electron microscopically.
A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).