COVID-19 Global Charts – Our World in Data
April 26, 2020
Carl Heneghan
Our World in Data license all their charts under Creative Commons BY (info here)
Analysis of global trends in deaths is essential to look for the differences in the rates of fatalities. Even within countries, there are differences within these rates. Factors that might impact on the death rates include the temperature and the humidity; other unidentified environmental factors, the urban environment (i.e., housing density); levels of social deprivation, the age structure of the population and who is affected in that population including co-morbidities within a given community. Also, the virus itself can impact on mortality depending on mutations which can affect its virulence – a viruses ability to infect or damage a host.
Beyond this, the structure and response of a countries health system will also need to be investigated. Some countries have more beds, more critical care facilities. It will be essential to understand whether this leads to earlier referral and better supportive care: essential factors when considering the frail and the very elderly who are particularly vulnerable to succumbing to the effects of the virus.
Analysing deaths per population (as opposed to absolute counts) allows for a better understanding of the variation across countries and regions.
The data on confirmed cases and confirmed deaths is updated daily and is published by the European CDC.
Our World in Data license all their charts under Creative Commons BY (info here)
see also COVID 19 – The Widow of Hampstead Revisited
Effect of Latitude on COVID-19
Carl Heneghan is Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine, Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and Director of Studies for the Evidence-Based Health Care Programmes. (Full bio and disclosure statement here)
Disclaimer: the article has not been peer-reviewed; it should not replace individual clinical judgement, and the sources cited should be checked. The views expressed in this commentary represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the host institution, the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care.
