Are your fears of COVID-19 justified? Please note that I am looking at the stats collected by the State of Utah. You can find all the numbers on the state website. I write under the assumption that they are good data collected by the healthcare workers.
As of today, there have been 80 deaths due to the coronavirus across the state.
The current mortality rate is at 1.1%, which seems a bit high even by flu standards. However, I would like to remind everyone that testing is still focused on those with symptoms. The actual number may be lower when including asymptomatic cases.
A fun stat is the gender distribution. It's closer than I thought. I have seen things on the internet claiming men are more susceptible, but looks like the gap is shrinking.
The key take away is the average age of persons died from the virus. At a glance, it is obvious that seniors over the age of 70 should be aware. It should come as no surprise that most of the patients had some sort of pre-existing condition.
Another point of interest is the statistics on nursing homes. They account for 31 of 80 deaths in the state. With 188 still infected, it is reasonable to assume some of them would succumb to this disease. The challenge for these facilities is to prevent the virus to spread like wildfire. They are centers for the most vulnerable and high-risk people.
The table above further reinforces the notion that the elderly are the main victims. So, if you fall within that age group and have some existing health issues, stay safe. It might not be a bad idea to take some precautions when going outside.
We are at the middle of May. By the end of this month and into June, the state should have a better idea about the reopening. The disease is only part of the battle. The social and economic impact that come after will be a storm in itself.