HOW BAD IS THIS CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC?

COVID-19 is a new coronavirus, which means that it is likely no-one has a natural immunity to it. Coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV and SARS are on watchlists of infections with pandemic potential, along with Ebola and influenza. Since it began, COVID-19 has spread worldwide, leading the WHO to label it a pandemic and a “public health emergency of international concern.”

Based on available evidence, COVID-19 appears to have a fatality rate of 4.4%, much lower than 10% for SARS, and around 30% for MERS-CoV. Yet this is not a reason to relax containment and control measures.

COVID-19 is more contagious than either SARS or MERS-CoV, and crucially, it can be spread undetected. This is because many people with COVID-19 are either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms, so they may not be adequately isolating themselves and spreading the infection. Most countries around the world are now on lockdown to avoid spreading the virus any further and allowing “a flattening of the curve” meaning avoiding cases from spiking and overwhelming health systems.