How can a disease with a 1% mortality rate shut down the U.S? Answered by Franklin Veaux:

[Jillgirl]

57. What is the mortality rate?

Last edited Mon Jul 13, 2020, 05:06 AM - Edit history (1)

Good point that doesn't get enough attention: There is more to fear from covid than death.

But what is the source of 1%?

Mortality rate is number deceased/(number deceased plus number recovered). I don't know where you can get the best data. At this moment, the mortality rate based on data from this page is: 137,773/(137773+1515889)=8.3%

Reasons why the real number could be lower:
* These numbers can include only reported illnesses. Unreported illnesses are likely lighter cases with fewer deaths.

* These numbers exclude people who are recovering. If, as seems likely, those dying do so faster than those recovering, then when it's all over the death rate will include a lot more recovered people and therefore will go down.

Edited to remove a point that no longer makes sense to me.