Since the COVID-19 was first discovered in December 2019, it has infected and killed thousands of people globally. It started as an epidemic, and it’s now a pandemic that’s arguably the greatest threat to humanity in recent times. 

The virus’s mortality rate as of March 3, 2020, is 3.4%, as estimated by the World Health Organization. According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, “About 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases globally are dead. If we are to compare, seasonal flu kills far fewer than 1% of those infected.”

Even though the coronavirus mortality rate is roughly 3.4%, it doesn’t tell the full story about the virus. 

How Deadly is COVID-19?

With the way the COVID-19 is spreading rapidly, it’s evident that the virus is deadly. Here’s how deadly COVID -19 is;

• Older adults and people with chronic conditions are more likely to die from the illness caused by Coronavirus. 
• The death rate of COVID -19 varies by country. And when more people are diagnosed with the virus, the death rate tends to decrease. 
• The COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic and has killed about 7,174. Despite the death toll, it’s difficult to measure how deadly the virus is. 

The death rate of 3.4% estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) varies between countries and across age groups. If the trend continues, the death rate may likely change over time. 

The death rate percentage is arrived at by calculating the number of deaths out of the total number of confirmed cases. Now, let’s get this clear. The death rate of the virus isn’t static; it changes over time. And it doesn’t indicate that anybody infected with coronavirus is likely to die. It’s a percentage representation of the death toll from the total confirmed cases. 

Below is a summary of COVID-19 death rate according to age; 

Age Death rate

80+: 14.8%

70 to 79: 8%

60 to 69: 3.6%

50 to 59: 1.3%

40 to 49: 0.4%

30 to 39: 0.2%

20 to 29: 0.2%

10 to 19: 0.2%

Source: Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention

From the above statistics, you can come to the unbiased conclusion that older people are more exposed to the risk of death when infected by a coronavirus. 

Death Rate of COVID-19 Patients With Preexisting Health Conditions

Pre Existing Conditions Death rate

Heart Disease: 10.5%

Diabetes: 7.3%

Chronic Respiratory Disease: 6.3%

High Blood Pressure: 6%

Cancer: 5.6%

Without preexisting health condition: 0.9%