Wessam Atif | June 11, 2020
Dr. Wessam Atif breaks down what we do and don’t know about the
worldwide death rate, or case fatality rate, from COVID-19. The problem
with simply compiling the rates published by the world’s nations is that
they don’t always know what they are doing — and those stats may be
calculated differently from nation to nation. “News flash: These numbers
are mostly flawed and inaccurate,” Atif says in the video.
A more effective way to get a handle of the death rate is to study
the case of the Diamond Princess cruise ship and its 3,711 passengers.
This ship was quarantined in Japan during the early stages of the
pandemic, creating what some see as a perfect environment for studying
the virus. Among its attributes, according to Atif:
- Whole population
- Almost like a small village
- No ethical concerns
- Locked in with a virus for weeks
- Everyone was tested
- No other variables or confounding factors
- Naturally randomized
“As a public health professional, this is by far the best type of study I could dream of,” he said.
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