By Jerry Bellune

JeryBellune@yahoo.com

Covid-19 may not be as deadly as we thought.

Researchers analyzed data from outbreaks on cruise ships and virus hot spots.

They have now conducted dozens of studies to calculate the fatality rate.

That research suggests covid-19 kills 0.3% to 1.5% of those infected.

That's far higher than the death rate in South Carolina.

South Carolina health officials have reported 71,213 infections to date.

Of those, 1,147 victims did not survive – meaning .016% died.

Tragic as that is, that's far less than what the researchers found. 

It also means that 70,066 South Carolinians survived the virus and are probably immune to it now.

If you are in reasonably good health, your chances of survival are high.

Most studies put the rate between 0.5% and 1.0%, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. 

That means for every 1,000 people infected, 6 to 7 will die, the researchers said.

A problem for the researchers was that they measured deaths out of estimated infections as opposed to confirmed cases

Their estimates suggest covid-19 may be deadlier than seasonal flu but not as lethal as Ebola and other infectious diseases.

Corona virus is killing more people than the deadlier diseases because it is more infectious, they say.

Covid-19 is highly contagious, said Eric Toner of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

“It’s the combination of the fatality rate and the infectiousness that makes this such a dangerous disease.”

Dr. Timothy Russell at the London School of Hygiene examined data from China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

He put the infection-fatality rate at around 0.6% – still far higher than the fatality rate in South Carolina..