‘Coronavirus has a survival rate of 98 per cent’

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Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete during the break of morning parliament session yesterday. Picture: RAMA

CORONAVIRUS or COVID-19 has a survival rate of 98 per cent, far higher than SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), says Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, he said the death rate from the COVID-19 infection was approximately 2 per cent.

“Like with any new diseases, there are unknowns,” he said.

“So far, we know that over 80 per cent of people who have been infected have a mild form of the disease,” he said.

“Severe disease occurs in approximately 14 per cent of cases, with people over the age of 60 and those with pre-existing conditions more likely to develop a severe case of the disease.

“About 80 per cent of people who died of the disease in China were over the age of 60 and 75 per cent had pre-existing conditions.

“The death rate is approximately 2 per cent that means 98 per cent of people that get the disease survive. For comparison, COVID-19’s survival rate is far higher than SARS (90 per cent) and MERS (less than 70 per cent).”

Dr Waqainabete said COVID-19’s infection rate was higher than SARS and MERS, but lower than measles.

“That means that simple, preventative actions and good hygiene –– like frequently washing your hands –– can prevent you from getting the disease.”

COVID-19 was first recorded in Wuhan, China, in late December of last year.

The disease had spread and risen in severity in recent weeks, resulting in the World Health Organization (WHO) formally declaring the outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30.

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