80% of Deaths Are Men Over 60...The Reality of the New Coronavirus Revealed

75% of COVID-19 Deaths in China Had Underlying Conditions
Symptoms Include High Fever and Cough
Incubation Period Up to 14 Days
Some Effect Seen with HIV Treatment Drugs

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Lee Jung-yoon] Among those who died from the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) in China, about 80% were men aged 60 and over. This pattern differs slightly from the 2002 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, where more than half of the deceased were elderly aged 65 and above. It also contrasts with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), where many infected were in their 40s and 50s. Since its first outbreak in December last year, the novel coronavirus, which has plunged the globe into fear, is gradually revealing characteristics different from past epidemics.

- Vulnerable group to the novel coronavirus: men aged 60 and over

▲ The older the age and the more pre-existing conditions a person has, the more vulnerable they are to the novel coronavirus. According to the announcement by the National Health Commission of China, 80% of the deaths from the novel coronavirus were men aged 60 and above. Additionally, 75% of the deceased had underlying diseases. This is a characteristic also seen in SARS and MERS. Chinese authorities have also mentioned a possible link between deaths from the novel coronavirus and obesity.

- Respiratory symptoms similar to MERS and SARS

▲ The novel coronavirus is accompanied by respiratory symptoms such as cough and pharyngitis, along with fever, muscle pain, and pneumonia. These symptoms are similar to MERS, which mainly presented with high fever, cough, and breathing difficulties, and SARS, which caused respiratory symptoms and pneumonia. However, the symptoms differ from the 2009 novel flu, which was accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. In the case of the fourth confirmed patient in Korea, pneumonia worsened during isolation treatment, requiring oxygen therapy for a time, but the patient is currently reported to be in a stable condition.

- Incubation period similar to MERS: 2 to 14 days

▲ The maximum incubation period is 14 days. Most confirmed cases in Korea are presumed to have been infected overseas, but some showed no outward symptoms upon entry and developed symptoms about 3 to 4 days later. There have been cases where initial tests during early symptom onset were negative, but subsequent tests after symptom worsening came back positive. The incubation periods for SARS and MERS are 2 to 7 days and 2 to 14 days, respectively.

- Fatality rate lower than SARS (10%) and MERS (40%) at 2%

▲ The novel coronavirus has a strong transmissibility compared to other infectious diseases. The New York Times (NYT) estimated that without isolation measures for confirmed cases, the virus could spread to 1.5 to 3.5 people. In comparison, a person with the flu infects an average of 1.3 people. The fatality rate of the novel coronavirus is somewhat low at 2 to 4%. For MERS, about 40% of confirmed cases died, and for SARS, about 10%.

- No treatment yet, but some effect seen with HIV treatment drugs

▲ It is expected to take more than a year before vaccines and treatments for the novel coronavirus become available. However, patients treated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs have shown some therapeutic effects. Some medical staff in Korea are using HIV treatment drugs on confirmed patients. The second confirmed patient in Korea, who received HIV treatment drugs, has improved and is preparing for discharge. However, the medical community explains that there is still insufficient evidence to determine whether the HIV treatment drugs have a direct therapeutic effect on the novel coronavirus or if the effect is incidental.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.