COVID-19 Fatality Rate 2.3%... Male Fatality Rate 60% Higher Than Female

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The fatality rate of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in China has been estimated at approximately 2.3%. The fatality rate in Hubei Province, the outbreak's epicenter, is about 2.9%, and around 20% of all patients have been reported to worsen to severe conditions. The fatality rate among males is known to be about 60% higher than that of females.

According to foreign media such as the Associated Press, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) investigated 44,672 patients confirmed with COVID-19 and published the results in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology. The overall fatality rate of COVID-19 patients in China was about 2.3%. The fatality rate in Hubei Province alone reached 2.9%, while the rate in other regions excluding Hubei was around 0.4%. The fatality rate among male confirmed cases (2.84%) was 66.5% higher than that of female confirmed cases (1.70%). Approximately 20% of confirmed patients were reported to worsen to severe conditions.

The fatality rate increased sharply with age. The fatality rate for confirmed patients aged 80 and above was 14.8%, 8.0% for those in their 70s, 3.6% for those in their 60s, 1.3% for those in their 50s, 0.4% for those in their 40s, and 0.2% for those in their 10s to 30s. There were no deaths among infected patients aged 9 or younger. In particular, the fatality rate was higher in cases with pre-existing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or respiratory diseases.

Among infected patients, 80.9% showed mild symptoms, 13.8% suffered from severe conditions such as pneumonia or shortness of breath, and 4.7% exhibited critical symptoms including respiratory failure, septic shock, or multiple organ failure. Regionally, 74.7% of all confirmed cases and 95.7% of deaths occurred in Hubei Province. By occupation, among confirmed cases, farmers and laborers accounted for 22.0%, and retirees for 20.6%, while retirees made up the majority of deaths at 46.1%. Chinese health authorities warned that although the number of patients showing COVID-19 symptoms peaked between January 23 and 26 and has since declined, there is a need to prepare for the possibility of a resurgence of the epidemic as Chinese people return to their workplaces after visiting their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday.

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