It is actually too soon to know how lethal the virus is as we do not know how many people have contracted it. The only test available detects viral RNA, which disappears upon recovery. There is currently no test for anti-virus antibodies to detect those who have been infected but recovered.

Another issue is to what extent the increase in mortality with age is due to age per se (as a consequence of a lessened immune response) or to the fact that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, respiratory disease, diabetes, and other comorbidities increases with age. In othe words, is it age or the comorbidities that matters most? The statisticians need more data to sort that one out too.

Apparently, a woman of 103 years has just recovered in China!