Planetary Information Engine Update - 6/8/2020 Hello, thanks for signing up for updates from the Planetary Information Engine. The Planetary Information Engine delivers actionable intelligence (information) to residents of the Earth to aid them in their daily lives. Currently we are devoting a large number of resources to updating the Coronavirus Live Tracking site that I've established in response to the global, novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The following figures and items have been updated recently: Site-wide Updates: - This week research progress:
- News archives expanded
- Current research focus: Understanding the innate vs. adaptive immune system and their response to COVID-19
- This letter special notes:
- Re-iteration of mask wearing as a way to reduce COVID-19 transmission
- Retraction of a major hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) study by The Lancet to faulty data
- Most studies sill suggest HCQ is not an effective prophylactic or treatment for COVID-19
- The "Grim" Newsletter
- US coronavirus death toll surpasses 110,000
- Visualizations of global and US coronavirus death statistics update
- Update on Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) rate estimates
Estimates of Mortality - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2
- SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to the viruses that cause SARS and MERS, which have both caused severe outbreaks of respiratory disease.
- Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for COVID-19 in the US seems relatively stable at 5.7%, Italy/Spain/France/UK at 10-15%.
- Case fatality rate is the proportion of attributable number of deaths from a disease to reported (clinical) cases.
- Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) for COVID-19 in the US is estimated to be between 0.5% and 1.0% globally (Meyerowitz-Katz, 2020 - Pre-Print).
- Infection fatality rate (IFR) is the proportion of attributable number of deaths to all those infected (includes sub-clinical and asymptomatic cases) and is expected to be lower than CFR.
- This number can be estimated during an epidemic/pandemic from antibody (by determining seroprevalence) studies.
- SARS-CoV-2 has a very high asymptomatic rate that makes it difficult to estimate this number, meaning that estimates will vary widely between region and testing methodology.
- Seroprevalence is the prevalence of individuals with antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a population, meaning the percent of individuals that have or have recently had the disease, regardless of disease status (asymptomatic, sub-clinical, or full-clinical presentation).
- Current seroprevalence estimates range from 1.5% up to 30%, varying from region and testing methodology (Levesque and Maybury, 2020), meaning that a greater portion of any given population is infected with SARS-CoV-2 than will be identified from routine testing.
- Widespread seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is not currently known with scientific certainty in the US.
- Mortality rate is the attributable rate of deaths due to a disease in a population (e.g., out of 100,000 people what is the risk of death for a particular disease).
- This number is not typically estimated until after an epidemic/pandemic.
- Mortality rate of COVID-19 is not currently known with scientific certainty in the US.
Estimates of COVID-19 Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) - Meyerowitz-Katz, 2020) - Click image for full resolution Global Case Fatality Rates (CFR) as of 06/07/2020 (Source: Johns Hopkins) Country | Infections | Deaths | CFR | 95% Confidence Interval | USA | 1,942,363 | 110,514 | 5.69% | (5.66 - 5.72%) | Brazil | 691,758 | 36,455 | 5.27% | (5.22 - 5.32%) | Russia | 467,073 | 5,851 | 1.25% | (1.22 - 1.28%) | UK | 287,621 | 40,625 | 14.12% | (14.00 - 14.25%) | India | 257,486 | 7,207 | 2.80% | (2.74 - 2.86%) | Spain | 241,550 | 27,136 | 11.23% | (11.11 - 11.36%) | Italy | 234,998 | 33,899 | 14.43% | (14.28 - 14.57%) | Peru | 196,515 | 5,465 | 2.78% | (2.71 - 2.85%) | France | 191,102 | 29,158 | 15.26% | (15.10 - 15.42%) | Germany | 185,750 | 8,685 | 4.68% | (4.58 - 4.77%) | Iran | 171,789 | 8,281 | 4.82% | (4.72 - 4.92%) | Turkey | 170,132 | 4,692 | 2.76% | (2.68 - 2.84%) | China | 84,191 | 4,638 | 5.51% | (5.35 - 5.66%) | South Korea | 11,814 | 273 | 2.31% | (2.04 - 2.58%) | Australia | 7,265 | 102 | 1.4% | (1.13 - 1.67%) | Global | 7,009,065 | 402,730 | 5.75% | (5.73 - 5.76%) | Global daily deaths from COVID-19 - red = peak, green = reducing (OurWorldInData.org) - Click image for full resolution US Excess Deaths due to all causes as of May 23, 2020 - US CDC (2017-2020) - Click image for full resolution US Excess Deaths due to COVID-19 as of May 9, 2020 - Washington Post - Click image for full resolution Rt Covid-19 for US States - If Rt is above 1.0, the virus will spread quickly. When Rt is below 1.0, the virus will stop spreading 06/07/2020. (rt.live) - Click image for full resolution - 05/29/2020 - Evidence for Limited Early Spread of COVID-19 Within the United States, January–February 2020 | US CDC
- 05/29/2020 - Coronavirus in charts: the fact-checkers correcting falsehoods | Nature
- 05/30/2020 - U.S. cities fear protests may fuel new wave of virus outbreaks | CP24
- 06/01/2020 - Hesitancy to resume activities marks reopening challenges: POLL | ABC News
- 06/03/2020 - A Randomized Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 | NEJM
- 06/03/2020 - Protester who took part in downtown Columbus demonstrations tests positive for COVID-19 | NBC
- 06/03/2020 - Hydroxychloroquine does not prevent Covid-19 infection if exposed, study says | STAT News
- 06/04/2020 - Social bubbles may be the best way for societies to emerge from lockdown | MIT Tech Review
- 06/04/2020 - Hydroxychloroquine study retraction shows the problems of speedy science | The Verge
- 06/04/2020 - Researchers retract study that found big risks in using hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19 | Washington Post
- 06/05/2020 - The biggest mystery: what it will take to trace the coronavirus source | Nature
- 06/05/2020 - The pandemic mixed up what scientists study – and some won't go back | Nature
- 06/05/2020 - The Lancet has made one of the biggest retractions in modern history. How could this happen? | The Guardian
- 06/06/2020 - Police Tactics Could Turn Protests Into Covid-19 Hot Spots | Wired
- 06/06/2020 - COVID-19 vaccine development pipeline gears up | The Lancet
- 06/07/2020 - No benefit' from hydroxychloroquine for virus: UK trial | The Jakarta Post
See the coronavirus health information page for more information. *Note: The information contained in this newsletter or website does not constitute medical advice. If you are having a medical emergency please contact your local healthcare provider or dial 911. If you are concerned about your health risks related to Coronavirus, please consult a medical professional. | |