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I don’t think “misinformation” is appropriate. Given the novel nature and chaos with COVID, the limitations with best effort, rushed information, etc there were a lot of different numbers thrown around for various cohorts, etc.

Figures like 1.1% were definitely cited, especially in the early days where the initial iteration of the virus devastated congregate living and other settings. It also took about 6 months for best practices for acute management of hospitalized patients were developed. Many people died as a result who would not have after 2021.

We’re all laymen here.



Saying that the fatality rate is around 1% is pure fear mongering.

Maybe 1% for highly at risk populations like elderly and immune compromised people but nowhere near 1% for the general population.


I got the data from https://ourworldindata.org/mortality-risk-covid which, recently, uses WHO data. In the case of the US, this is probably CDC’s. I probably should have noted that, initially, when COVID tests were scarce or non-existing because at that time a diagnosis implied symptoms. Still, the numbers are not as off as GP claimed. One number that still seems to hold is a 50% fatality rate for patients admitted to ICU (I just checked with a doctor friend)




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