[SoCal Pubbie]

Technically, a Coronavirus is in fact the cause of many cases of the common cold. Also factual is that for those aged 15 to 44, the fatality rate was 0.5%, though it might have been as low as 0.1% or as high as 1.3%. For people 45 to 64, the fatality rate was also 0.5%, with a possible low of 0.2% and a possible high of 1.1%. For those over 64, it was 2.7%, with a low and high estimate of 1.5% and 4.7%.

The chance of serious illness from coronavirus infection in younger people was so low, the scientists estimate a fatality rate of zero.

Since it’s an upper respiratory disease, the description you cited was pretty accurate, if a bit flippant. I am not saying we should go on as if there’s no danger. Prudent measures are necessary. Burning down the house to kill the termites is not.

[Magic Fingers]

I’m not saying it’s your position, but that comment was from a goof who was obviously and disingenuously trying to minimize the seriousness of the infection, deliberately omitting that it kills people (i.e., “a cold that gives some elderly people pneumonia”).

[lepton]

Technically, a Coronavirus is in fact the cause of many cases of the common cold.

---

It is - most of the 20% not caused by rhinoviruses. MERS and SARS are also coronaviruses.

This one is more similar to the MERS and SARS viruses, but less fatal per case (MERS 30-35%, SARS 10-12%. FWIW, China’s numbers are currently in the 4.0-4.5% range) and much more infectious.

Here are the fatality rate by age percentages the CDC had in a chart from February, multiplied by the number of people in those age brackets in 2010. If anyone finds more up-to-date numbers they’d be appreciated. The numbers infected are an approximation if we treated this like the flu and took no other precautions (and had a vaccine).

If the infection totals were like this years estimate of the flu:
320,000,000
*10% infection rate
32,000,000

Age count CDC chart .. .. Dead
20s 37.3M *0.1% ... ... 3,500
30s 43.2M *0.2% ... ... 9,000
40s 42.5M *0.4% ... ..17,000
50s 31.1M *1.3% ... .. 40,000
60s 20.3M *3.6% ... .. 73,000
70s 16.3M *8.0% .. ...130,000
80+ 9.2M *14 % .. ....128,000
... ... ... ... ... .. 404,000

As you can see, the shift in fatalities towards the elderly is not as strong as is implied. And for working age folk in their 60s is about 60% in numbers from those in their 80s.

[PA Engineer]

Since it’s an upper respiratory disease, the description you cited was pretty accurate

ACE2 protein is expressed bilaterally in the low areas of the lung where this virus binds.

Are you saying COVID-19 (China Plague) is a upper respiratory illness? Do you know where else it infects?