This story is part of
In numbers: The COVID-19 pandemic
SHOW MORE 71 STORIES

Data | COVID-19 is deadliest for the elderly

People aged 80 and above are at the highest risk of dying due to COVID-19

March 19, 2020 02:10 am | Updated 12:32 pm IST

A medical worker checkiing a patient at a temporary hospital set for for COVID-19 coronavirus patients in Wuhan on March 5, 2020.

A medical worker checkiing a patient at a temporary hospital set for for COVID-19 coronavirus patients in Wuhan on March 5, 2020.

People aged 80 and above are at the highest risk of dying due to COVID-19, according to case records analysed by the Disease Control and Prevention Centers in China and South Korea. Victims of the virus with pre-existing medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes have a higher fatality rate than others. Also the rate of fatalities was relatively higher for retirees.

 

Case fatality of age-groups in China

The chart plots the % of cases against the fatality rate of age-groups in China. Persons aged <50 had a <1% fatality rate while it was 15% for persons aged >=80.

Which age-groups were at most risk in China?

image/svg+xml1410622610141822Fatality rate (deaths/cases)% of confirmed cases in China>=8070-7960-6950-5940-4930-3920-2910-190-9As age increases, there is a sharpincrease in the fatality rateThe share of younger people beinginfected was lower in China
 

COVID-19 | Interactive map of confirmed coronavirus cases in India

Case fatality of age-groups in South Korea

The chart plots the % of cases against the fatality rate of age-groups in S. Korea. The relationship between age and fatality rate remained the same as China’s.

Which age-groups were at most risk in South Korea?

image/svg+xml1086420261014182226% of confirmed cases in South Korea>=8070-7960-6950-5920-2940-4930-3910-190-9Fatality rate (deaths/cases)However, the share of middle-aged people infected with thevirus in South Korea was very highcompared to China
 

Case fatality by medical history in China

The chart plots the % of cases against the fatality rate across pre-existing medical conditions, in China. Such conditions increased the chances of fatality.

Which pre-existing medical conditions in a patient are more harmful?

image/svg+xml108642010305070Fatality rate (deaths/cases)Cardiovascular diseaseDiabetesChronic respiratory diseaseHypertensionCancerNo condition% of confirmed cases in ChinaThe fatality ratefor those withcardiovasculardisease was thehighest. Diabetesand respiratorydiseases tooincreased thefatality rate
 

 

Data | India's coronavirus testing rates are among the lowest in the world

Case fatality by occupation in China

The chart plots the % of cases against the fatality rate across various occupations, in China. Retirees have a high chance of dying because of the disease.

Persons of which occupation are more at risk

image/svg+xml543210515253545Other/noneRetireeFarmer/labourerService industryHealth worker% of confirmed cases in ChinaFatality rate (deaths/cases)
 

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.