Analysing the latest figures from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, the worldwide average for deaths per 1million population is now 10.5, which is 0.00105%. Compare this to the worldwide average death rate for seasonal or winter flu of 0.1% (source: World Health Organisation).
The COVID-19 death rate is currently 95x lower than seasonal or winter flu.
And that is using the total deaths figure which includes all deaths from secondary infections and related to cytokine storm syndrome, i.e. those dying with COVID-19 and not of COVID-19.
The data also reinforces a question we have already posed: just why is Europe doing so badly compared to other continents?
Looking at the death rate per 1million population, 9 out of the top 10 highest death rates are in Europe. The other one is Sint Maarten with 6 deaths but its small population size increases its positional ranking. Even including it, 90% of the worst affected countries & territories are European.
If you expand the group to the top 20 highest death rates, 15 are in Europe, so 75% which is still a very high percentage. If you widen the group to include Western rather than just European the figure is 19 out of 20, with the exception being Iran. That’s 95% of the worst affected countries & territories being in the West, mainly in Europe. These are countries with developed healthcare systems and access to advanced medications. So why are they all faring so badly?
The question become even more relevant when you look at some oriental countries which have large populations included densely-populated conurbations. Remember the worldwide average is currently 10.5 per million population: Malaysia 2, Philippines 2, Indonesia 0.8, Japan 0.7, Hong Kong 0.5 and Thailand 0.4.
This suggests there is something environmental in the severity of symptoms and resultant death rates. Our view is that:
- as previously highlighted, the widespread use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, which suppress and inhibit enzymatic activity, may either reduce the immune system’s capability and/or magnify the virus’ capability to enter cells and replicate.
- the confinement of populations for a sustained period of time has reduced the opportunity for viral infection through social contact, at low viral dosage within the scope of the body’s innate immune system response, and exponentially increased the opportunity for sustained viral exposure, with a corresponding increase in viral dosage.
The strategy of governments that are confining their citizens is not working. It is making the situation worse.
The data doesn’t lie. Unlike governments.
Do not panic. Do not worry. Do not follow government advice.