Thread by @ashishkjha

This figure (via @ScottGottliebMD) receiving a lot of attention

And folks rightly point out mortality rates lower for young than for elderly

But thats true for every disease

So as point of reference:

How do these rates compare to mortality for folks with heart attack?

Thread

First, obviously being infected with COVID19 is not as serious as having a heart attack

But what about if you end up hospitalized with COVID19?

Is that serious?

How do mortality rates, age gradient compare to folks with an acute MI

Let's use data from HCUP 2016

2/6

Age GroupCOVID19 (FL) Acute MI (national)
25-44 2.3% to 4.8% 1.6%
45-64 6.8% to 12.5% 2.7%
65-84 26% to 38% 5.3%
85+ 61% 10.3%

So what does this tell us?

3/6

For each age group, among hospitalized patients,

COVID is 2 to 6 times deadlier than an acute MI.

Saying there is an age gradient for mortality among hospitalized COVID19 is not interesting.

That's true for all hospitalized patients.

Very true for Acute MI

4/6

But here's the fact:

Average 40 year-old admitted with COVID19 has about the same mortality rate as the average 70 year-old with an acute MI

Once you get sick enough to be hospitalized, COVID19 is a serious disease

That's one more reason to track hospitalization numbers

5/6

So we have to move away from the trope that COVID19 only a disease of older people.

Even if it was, it should be a priority.

But its not.

And when young people get sick from this disease, they can get very sick

And that's another reason to take preventing it seriously

Fin