80% of US coronavirus deaths have been among people 65 and older, a new CDC report says - here's what it reveals about the US cases
The CDC's numbers suggest that nearly 1,200 cases have been reported among people older than 65, while nearly 1,700 patients are younger than that.
Americans above 85 make up the largest portion of coronavirus cases when the data is adjusted for population size.
The CDC has advised people over 60 and those with underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus to stock up on supplies and avoid venturing out of their homes except when necessary.
The highest number of coronavirus deaths in the US is also among older Americans.
Of the 44 coronavirus deaths the CDC analyzed, 20 were among people ages 65-84 and 15 were among those 85 or older. No one 19 or younger has died yet from the disease, according to the agency. A large number of deaths — at least 19 — have been connected to an outbreak at a nursing home in Washington.
The COVID-19 death rate in the US is above 10% for those over 85.
The death rate of coronavirus is roughly 3.4% worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, but that number doesn't fully capture how deadly the virus can be for older populations.
China has also seen the highest portion of coronavirus deaths among older patients.
The chart above reflects the findings of a study by China's CDC that collected data from more than 44,000 confirmed coronavirus patients there through February 11.
South Korea has also seen higher deaths among older age groups, though it has reported lower death rates overall than most countries.
South Korea's total death rate as of Wednesday is about 0.97%. That's far lower than the death rates in other countries. A major factor could be the country's extremely thorough coronavirus-testing policies.
As of Monday, the country had tested more than 274,000 people. That allows health officials and the public to pursue more effective and widespread quarantining of infected people and their contacts.
Italy has been one of the countries most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Its population is the world's second-oldest, on average, after Japan's.
Italy is under a nationwide lockdown, and its hospitals are overrun with coronavirus patients. On Wednesday, the country reported 475 new coronavirus deaths — the highest single-day death toll of any nation since the outbreak began.
- Read more:
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- Countries that are on lockdown because of coronavirus
- Multiple experts say up to 70% of Americans could be infected with the coronavirus and 1 million could die if no treatment is found — so people over 60 should 'stay home unless it's critical'
- What to know about the coronavirus outbreak in 17 charts and maps
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