How the fatality rate of Coronavirus changes with age

Mar 3, 2020

With the collaboration of Statista.

People wearing protective face masks sit outside the AHEPA hospital, where the first confirmed coronavirusCoronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly

The risks rise dramatically for those over the age of 80. Image: REUTS/Alexandros Avramidis

Niall McCarthy

Data Journalist, Statista

Officials in China have released a major report into fatality rates for the Coronavirus.
The average fatality rate is 2.3%, but it changes significantly with age - rising to nearly 15% among those over 80 years old.

Health officials in China have released their first major report about the coronavirus which has now been officially named COVID-19. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention compiled the paper which was based on 72,314 patient records and 44,672 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Mainland China as of February 11, 2020. Out of the total number of confirmed cases, 1,023 deaths were recorded, equating to a case fatality rate of 2.3 percent.

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The paper found that the fatality rate gradually increases with age. For example, there were no deaths among children aged nine or younger while it stood at 0.2 percent for people aged between 10 and 39. It increased to 3.6 percent in the 60-69 age bracket before rising to 8 percent among those aged 70 to 79 and 14.8 percent among people in their 80s or older.

People with existing illnesses are also at higher risk and the paper states that sufferers with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and chronic respiratory disease all experienced a higher than average fatality rate. Another conclusion is that more men are dying more than women with the male fatality rate 2.8 percent compared to 1.7 percent for females.

Coronavirus china virus health healthcare who world health organization disease deaths pandemic epidemic worries concerns Health virus contagious contagion viruses diseases disease lab laboratory doctor health dr nurse medical medicine drugs vaccines vaccinations inoculations technology testing test medicinal biotechnology biotech biology chemistry physics microscope research influenza flu cold common cold bug risk symptomes respiratory china iran italy europe asia america south america north washing hands wash hands coughs sneezes spread spreading precaution precautions health warning covid 19 cov SARS 2019ncov wuhan sarscow wuhanpneumonia pneumonia outbreak patients unhealthy fatality mortality elderly old elder age serious death deathly deadly

The groups most vulnerable from COVID-19 coronavirus. Image: Statista

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