The rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic is taking a particularly harsh toll on older people.
Data from the initial outbreak in China and then Italy show that infected people under the age of 60 are at low – but not no – risk of dying from COVID-19. Curiously, young children do not appear to be at increased risk of serious COVID-19 complications, in contrast to what happens with other viruses, like the seasonal flu.
However, the statistics get grimmer as the patients get older. Whereas people in their 60s have a 0.4 percent chance of dying, people in their 70s have a 1.3 percent chance of dying, and people over 80 have a 3.6 percent chance of dying. While this may not sound like a high chance of death, during the current outbreak in Italy, 83 percent of those who succumbed to COVID-19 infection were over the age of 60.
The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is therefore a very serious pathogen for people over 60. As it continues to spread, this older age group will continue to be at risk for serious disease and death.
