Table 5.
Selected causes of death in the world, with deaths per year and day, compared to COVID-19 in 2020 (131–143).
| Cause of death | Deaths/year (/day) | Case fatality rate | Age group predominant |
|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 on Sept 4, 2020 | 864,618 (3,500) | 0.24% | ≥65–70 years old |
| Malaria | 405,000 (1,110) | 0.2% | Children |
| Tuberculosis | 1,500,000 (4,110) | <15% | – |
| Measles | 140,000 (384) | 1.46% | Children |
| Influenza | 389,213 (range 294–518 K)a | 0.01–0.02% for pH1N1 | Children 34,800 (13–97 K), and ≥65 years old. Respiratory deaths only |
| HIV | 690,000 (1,890) | – | Access to treatment for 67% |
| Motor Vehicle Collisions | 1,350,000 (3,699) | – | Young 5–29 years old, mostly in Low- to Middle-Income Countries |
| Tobacco | >8,000,000 (21,918) | – | – |
| Childhood (U5M) pneumonia | 808,920 (2,216) | – | <5 years old |
| Childhood (U5M) diarrhea | 533,768 (1,462) | 0.08% U5M | <5 years old |
| Dietary risk factors | 11,000,000 (30,137) | – | – |
a
The 1957–1959 Influenza pandemic, when the world population was 2.87 billion, was estimated to cause 4 deaths/10,000 population totaling 1.1 million excess deaths due to respiratory disease, with the greatest excess mortality in school-aged children and young adults. If COVID-19 is of similar severity, given the world population of 7.8 billion, we would expect ~3 Million deaths, mostly in older people (143).
K, thousands; U5M, under 5 mortality. Effect of COVID-19 in bold for emphasis.