So how deadly IS coronavirus? More so for men, the elderly and the infirm, stats show


Men are 65 per cent more likely to die from coronavirus, new analysis has revealed – despite the gender balance for those testing positive being roughly split in half.

Figures from the World Health Organisation and Chinese scientists has revealed that 1.7 per cent of woman who catch the virus will die compared to 2.8 per cent of men.

Men were also disproportionately affected during the Sars and Mers outbreaks, which were caused by coronaviruses. But some experts have said this could be due to higher numbers of males smoking or drinking alcohol. 

The elderly and infirm have also been found to more at risk of coronavirus with 10.5 per cent of those who catch it with cardiovascular disease expected to die from the deadly virus.

Death rates among those with diabetes are expected to be around 7.3 per cent while 6 per cent of people with high blood pressure are expected to die should they catch the disease. 

Some 5.6 per cent of cancer sufferers infected with coronavirus are expected to die as are 6.3 per cent of those with chronic respiratory disease.

The analysis, by Worldometer, comes as coronavirus has officially infected 96,000 people worldwide and killed more than 3,000, leaving the disease on the brink of becoming a pandemic.

Figures from the World Health Organisation and Chinese scientists has revealed that 1.7 per cent of woman who catch the virus will die compared to 2.8 per cent of men (pictured, a graphic showing those most likely at risk from the virus)

High containment ambulances in the emergency room of the Cotugno hospital in Naples where a patient is seen suffering from Coronavirus

High containment ambulances in the emergency room of the Cotugno hospital in Naples where a patient is seen suffering from Coronavirus

Tehran's municipality worker employee wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant to sanitize a taxi terminal on Thursday

Tehran’s municipality worker employee wearing protective gear sprays disinfectant to sanitize a taxi terminal on Thursday

The number of cases rose above 96,000 worldwide with over 3,300 deaths in some 85 countries

The number of cases rose above 96,000 worldwide with over 3,300 deaths in some 85 countries

In the United Kingdom  ‘a woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions’ was the first to die from the disease in the country, as the number of cases doubled in two days to 116. 

Across age ranges, those 80 years or older are most at risk with 14.8 per cent of people catching the disease in that age bracket expected to die. 

For those between 60 and 69 years old around 3.6 per cent who catch the virus are expected to die while 1.3 per cent of those aged 50 to 59 years old could die from coronavirus. 

Every country will face months of disruption, WHO warns 

People around the world braced for months of disruptions from the new virus as its unrelenting spread brought ballooning infections, economic fallout and sweeping containment measures.

‘Countries should be preparing for sustained community transmission,’ Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, leader of the World Health Organization, said of the 2-month-old virus outbreak. 

‘Our message to all countries is: This is not a one-way street. We can push this virus back. Your actions now will determine the course of the outbreak in your country.’

In places around the globe, a split was developing. China has been issuing daily reports of new infections that are drastically down from their highs, factories there are gradually reopening and there is a growing sense that normalcy might not be that far off. 

Meanwhile, countries elsewhere are seeing escalating caseloads and a litany of cancellations, closures, travel bans and supply shortages.

There are about 17 times as many new infections outside China as in it, WHO said, with widening outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran responsible for a majority.

‘The virus doesn’t care about race and belief or color. It is attacking us all, equally,’ said Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia. ‘We’re looking at a pandemic in all practical reality.’ 

 

Those much younger are expected to fare better with just 0.2 per cent of ten to 39 year olds catching the disease expected to die and a death rate of 0.4 per cent among 40 to 49 year olds.

Almost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as health officials on Thursday warned many countries were not doing enough to fight the outbreak.

As the number of cases rose above 96,000 worldwide with over 3,300 deaths in some 85 countries, the Paris marathon, Russia’s main business forum and Italy’s final match against England in the Six Nations Championship on March 14 were among the events cancelled or postponed.

In the United Kingdom forty-five patients have already been told to self-isolate at home instead of getting hospital treatment because they have minor flu-like symptoms, amid mounting fears overwhelmed NHS hospitals won’t be able to cope with an inevitable outbreak. 

Professor Whitty, who yesterday said catching the virus in old age does not automatically mean you would be ‘a goner’ and elderly people don’t yet need to batten down the hatches at home, admitted the infection is definitely spreading in the UK and not just among those who have travelled abroad, confirming the fears of millions of anxious Britons. 

But Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, believes women may simply have better immune systems and are biologically better at fighting off the virus.

‘Some of the differences are probably due to men smoking more and being chronic abusers of alcohol, but also, women are intrinsically different to men in their immune response,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.

As the crisis began to accelerate, Number 10 ratcheted up its response to the second ‘delay’ phase of its ‘battle plan’, which could see thousands of NHS operations cancelled and troops deployed on streets and experts said there was now a ‘slim to zero’ chance that the virus could be stopped.  

The outbreak’s rapid spread worldwide has prompted fears of a global economic downturn and rumbled global stock markets, with major European and US exchanges sinking again Thursday.

Most deaths and infections are still in China, where the virus first emerged late last year, prompting the country to quarantine entire cities, temporarily shut factories and close schools indefinitely.

A woman is pictured wearing a face mask yesterday at Crufts, a dog show in Birmingham which is expected to attract thousands of visitors

A woman is pictured wearing a face mask yesterday at Crufts, a dog show in Birmingham which is expected to attract thousands of visitors  

Waterbeach Surgery in Cambridge closed yesterday and was seen being scrubbed by medics in hazmat suits. The practice described the move as a 'routine precautionary measure'

Waterbeach Surgery in Cambridge closed yesterday and was seen being scrubbed by medics in hazmat suits. The practice described the move as a ‘routine precautionary measure’

The disease has doubled in Britain in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital

 The disease has doubled in Britain in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital

But infections are now rising faster abroad than inside China, with South Korea, Iran and Italy emerging as hotspots.

Nations have implemented extraordinary measures, with UNESCO saying on Wednesday that school closures in more than a dozen countries have affected 290.5 million children.

But the World Health Organization warned on Thursday that several countries were not showing ‘the level of political commitment’ needed to ‘match the level of the threat we all face’.

‘This is not a drill,’ WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. ‘This epidemic is a threat for every country, rich and poor.’ 

Britain and Switzerland reported their first deaths from the outbreak on Thursday, while Bosnia and South Africa confirmed their first cases and Algeria said 16 members of the same family had been infected.

A British United Nations employee was one of four people to test positive for the virus in Senegal, in the UN’s first case worldwide.

France also reported a steep jump in cases, bringing its total to 423 with seven deaths, as President Emmanuel Macron warned the country was heading towards an ‘inevitable’ epidemic.

Next week’s session of the European parliament will also be moved from Strasbourg to Brussels due to ‘significantly higher health risks’.

Members of the World Health Organisation arrive at an airport in Tehran earlier this week after arriving on a UAE military transport plane

Members of the World Health Organisation arrive at an airport in Tehran earlier this week after arriving on a UAE military transport plane 

Foreign tourists visit the Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in Bethlehem yesterday just hours before the site is due to close

Foreign tourists visit the Church of the Nativity, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in Bethlehem yesterday just hours before the site is due to close 

Virus fears also affected the joyful Indian celebration of Holi, in which Hindu revelers celebrate the arrival of spring with bursts of color, including bright powders smeared on faces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders said they wouldn’t attend Holi events and the Holi Moo Festival in New Delhi was canceled.

Palestinian officials closed the storied Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem indefinitely, weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday.

The Christian holy site closed indefinitely from 4pm yesterday after suspected virus cases emerged in the town.

The news is a blow to tens of thousands of worshippers who were expected to descend on the church for Easter next month.

Jeres Qumsiyeh, a spokesman for the Palestinian tourism ministry, said the church would be closed ‘until further notice’.

All tourists have been barred from entering the West Bank, after four suspected coronavirus cases were found in Bethlehem, authorities said.

Most tourists to the West Bank visit Bethlehem and its fellow biblical city of Jericho.

As the rest of the world prepares anti-virus barriers, Chinese manufacturers gradually reopened their factories.

Meanwhile the EU warned it might be necessary to boost supplies of protective clothing with several countries facing shortages, as it confirmed it was mulling taking on health workers still studying for their qualifications.

EU health ministers are due to discuss the coronavirus outbreak at a meeting in Brussels today.

People throw dry coloured powder which will be used in Holi celebrations in India - which PM Narendra Modi will no longer attend

People throw dry coloured powder which will be used in Holi celebrations in India – which PM Narendra Modi will no longer attend 

A crowd of people daubed in vibrant colours celebrate Holi in the town of Barsana, northern India, yesterday amid fears that the festival could help spread coronavirus

A crowd of people daubed in vibrant colours celebrate Holi in the town of Barsana, northern India, yesterday amid fears that the festival could help spread coronavirus 

People visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Thursday. The Nativity Church in Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, closed indefinitely from 4pm yesterday after suspected virus cases emerged in the town.

People visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, on Thursday. The Nativity Church in Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, closed indefinitely from 4pm yesterday after suspected virus cases emerged in the town.

Iran, which has registered 107 virus deaths, has also closed schools and universities. Now it has introduced checkpoints to limit travel between major cities. Iranians were urged to reduce their use of paper money.

Amid the string of bad news, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged state television to offer ‘happier’ programs to entertain those stuck at home.

‘I urge all artists, scientists, psychologists and all who can bring smiles to people’s faces, come into the social media,’ he said.

Brian Hook, the U..S. special representative for Iran, said the United States offered humanitarian assistance to help Iran deal with its outbreak but ‘the regime rejected the offer.’ He said the offer would stand.

In the United States, where 11 have died from the virus, hundreds of people were placed in self-quarantines due to cases in a New York suburb. A school district north of Seattle with 22,000 students announced it will close for up to two weeks because of coronavirus concerns.

Financial markets remained volatile, as investors continue to weigh the size of the epidemic’s dent on the global economy. The U.S. stock market was down in early trading Thursday. Analysts say more yo-yo moves on global markets are likely as long as the number of new infections continues to accelerate.

The OPEC oil cartel called for a deep production cut to keep crude prices from falling further as disruption to global business from the coronavirus slashes demand from air travel and industry.

Oil ministers from the 14 OPEC countries decided at a meeting Thursday to push for a cut of 1.5 million barrels a day, or about 1.5% of total world supply.

Across the globe, travelers faced ever-greater disruptions, as countries sought to keep the virus out. But South Africa confirmed its first case Thursday, becoming the seventh African nation to report infections. Britain and Switzerland reported their first coronavirus deaths.

‘The virus doesn’t care about race and belief or color. It is attacking us all, equally,’ said Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of Queensland in Australia.

The outlook for the travel industry was increasingly grim. The International Air Transport Association said the outbreak could cost airlines as much as $113 billion in lost revenue. The struggling British airline Flybe collapsed Thursday amid sinking demand.

Healthcare professionals wearing protective suits and healthcare masks at work inside the isolation area of the Amedeo di Savoia hospital in Turin, northern Italy on Thursday

Healthcare professionals wearing protective suits and healthcare masks at work inside the isolation area of the Amedeo di Savoia hospital in Turin, northern Italy on Thursday

Government officials make phone calls to members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus to check if they have symptoms of COVID-19 at the Goyang City Hall in Goyang, South Korea

Government officials make phone calls to members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus to check if they have symptoms of COVID-19 at the Goyang City Hall in Goyang, South Korea

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on the new coronavirus dubbed COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters on Monday

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on the new coronavirus dubbed COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters on Monday

Australia banned travelers from South Korea who aren’t Australian citizens or permanent residents, following similar bans for China and Iran.

Indonesia announced restrictions on travelers from parts of Iran, Italy and South Korea after previously banning those coming in from China. The United Arab Emirates warned its people not to travel anywhere abroad.

South Africa also confirmed its first virus case yesterday, saying the patient was a a 38-year-old man who had travelled to Italy.

The case in South Africa is the first in the southern part of the continent and the latest confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and Senegal.

‘This morning,… the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive,’ Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.

The case was detected in the country’s eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province.

The patient and his wife were part of a group of 10 people who arrived back in South Africa from Italy on March 1.

Two days later, on March 3, he consulted a private general practitioner with a fever, headache, sore throat and a cough.

Germany’s Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss said they will cancel all flights to and from Israel for three weeks starting Sunday after Israeli authorities announced tough restrictions on travelers from several countries because of the new virus.

A state visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping was postponed. It was to have been the first for a Chinese leader since 2008. 

How coronavirus spread around the world: Animated graphic shows how severely each country was hit over the last two months

A graphic shows the shocking spread of the deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 97,000 people and killed over 3,000.

Coronavirus has been found in over 80 countries worldwide and the graphic – created with data from the World Health Organisation – shows just how rapidly it has spread.

It comes as the UK yesterday confirmed its first coronavirus death in an ‘elderly person with underlying health conditions’.

Coronavirus has been found in over 80 countries worldwide and the graphic – created with data from the World Health Organisation – shows just how rapidly it has spread

Coronavirus began when the WHO was alerted by Chinese authorities to a number of pneumonia-like cases in the city of Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei Province

Coronavirus began when the WHO was alerted by Chinese authorities to a number of pneumonia-like cases in the city of Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province

The UK's first coronavirus death was an 'older patient who had underlying health conditions' who was being treated at the Royal Berkshire Hospital

The UK’s first coronavirus death was an ‘older patient who had underlying health conditions’ who was being treated at the Royal Berkshire Hospital

The disease has doubled in Britain in two days to 116 and health chiefs revealed patients with mild symptoms will be asked to stay at home instead of being treated in hospital. 

NHS officials revealed the patient, who hasn’t been identified, tested positive for the killer infection last night at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading before succumbing to the illness yesterday. 

It is unclear if they were taken to a specialist hospital for treatment.

No further details about the patient were released but the hospital trust admitted they had ‘previously been in and out of hospital’. 

Supermarket shelves have been seen stripped of home cleaning products – the chief medical officer yesterday said the virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to three days

Supermarket shelves have been seen stripped of home cleaning products – the chief medical officer yesterday said the virus can survive on hard surfaces for up to three days

Health chiefs fear they caught the virus in the UK because they had not recently travelled abroad – eight of the 29 cases confirmed yesterday were patients who caught the deadly virus on British soil.

Elderly coronavirus patients are at higher risk of suffering deadly complications because of their weaker immune systems. 

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: ‘I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends.’

Chopped tomatoes have flown off the shelves in a Tesco store. People have said they are setting up 'contingency plans' in case a disaster strikes in the UK

Chopped tomatoes have flown off the shelves in a Tesco store. People have said they are setting up ‘contingency plans’ in case a disaster strikes in the UK

A passenger wears a face mask while riding the London Underground yesterday as infections rapidly approached triple digits in the UK

A passenger wears a face mask while riding the London Underground yesterday as infections rapidly approached triple digits in the UK

Pedestrians wear face masks as they walk through Piccadilly Circus - normally a bustling tourist hotspot - in  central London

Pedestrians wear face masks as they walk through Piccadilly Circus – normally a bustling tourist hotspot – in  central London

In Italy – which has seen the worst outbreak in Europe – had its highest number of coronavirus deaths in a single day with 41 new fatalities.

The latest figures – the highest the country has seen in one day – brings the death toll to 148.

It comes as Italy announced a clampdown on people visiting their elderly relatives in its latest bid to contain the deadly disease, that infected a further 769 yesterday bringing the total confirmed cases to 3,858.

Coronavirus began when the WHO was alerted by Chinese authorities to a number of pneumonia-like cases in the city of Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei Province. 

The data for the latest graphic is collected from the WHO, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), China’s National Health Commission (NHC), and the Chinese medical community website DXY that combines data from China’s NHC and CDC.