via chartr
Today we explore:
- Fatalities for coronavirus are low for younger patients, but hospitalisations are more common than you might think.
- Which of the tech giants looks set to thrive in an era of lockdown?
- Finland is officially the world’s happiest country, would more money make them even happier?
The widely discussed fact that younger people are less at risk from coronavirus is 100% true. This data from the Centre For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is one of the best estimates we have for how this disease affects those who become infected. Hopefully it confirms what you already know; that fatality rates for confirmed cases in the 20-44 age group are extremely low: around 0.1-0.2%.
However, low fatality rates can lull people into a false sense of security. The CDC also estimates that the proportion of 20-44 age group confirmed cases that have required hospitalisation is somewhere between 14% & 21% so far.
Given that you’re reading a newsletter about data we’re aware that we’re probably preaching to the converted, but these hospitalisation rates really do emphasise the importance of flattening the curve.
If millions of 20-44 year olds get Covid-19, the vast majority will be end up being totally fine. But if almost one-fifth of them need hospital treatment in order to be fine, then hospitals will get overwhelmed extremely quickly.