The percentage increase in mortality, new Covid variant?

[steveatesh]

I hope this is the right forum, its nothing to do with the discussions around the response to the virus or anything like that.

Anyway, reports say that the new Variant of COVID is more deadly than the original.I have read various articles about it but one this morning said:

"GMB co-host Susanna Reid remarked: "When we say it is much more deadly, instead of 10 people in every 1,000 dying, this went up to 13 or 14 in every 1,000.

"So although an increased morbidity, it is still fractions of percentages isn't it?"

Am I right in thinking the virus is actually 30% more deadly than the original rather than being a fraction of a percentage. My thinking is that if 1 out of a 100 dying there is 1.3 dying and that 0.3 is around 30% higher.

Am i doing it right or what am I missing?

[Monty Python]

You're correct, but using this figure is more to gain headlines than to actually provide any useful information. If they'd said the mortality rate has increased from 1% to 1.3%, it wouldn't have quite the same impact.

[Terminator X]

Scary headlines with little or no context as usual. Stay home, bring out the dead.

TX.

[sealtt]

If there was a quality news service available, the headline would be, based on your figures, something like the below:

New COVID variant mortality rate is 30% (0.3 percentage points) higher



The difference between ‘percent’ and ‘percentage points’ is key, and ideally you need them both to understand the significance of either.

[CraigyMc]

This was just released; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/governmen...