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Danish study reveals that coronavirus may be almost 20 TIMES less deadly than WHO predicted Danish blood donor study suggests coronavirus may be less deadly than WHO predicted
(about 3 hours later)
Research on a group of blood donors in Denmark points to its Covid-19 mortality rate being well below one percent of the number of people infected with the disease, according to a team at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. Research on a group of blood donors in Denmark alleges the Covid-19 mortality rate may be lower than the 1-3 percent indicated by the World Health Organization, though the team urges caution in taking the data at face value.
Tests were carried out on 1,487 samples from Danish blood donors at the hospital showed a mortality rate of just 0.16 percent. EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this report was based on outdated death toll used in the study. This report has been amended to clarify inconsistencies and accurately reflect the actual numbers as of April 16.
The study also suggested that far more people than the 5,000 figurescurrently show have caught the virus with the number possibly being ashigh as 400,000. Tests carried out earlier this month at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on 1,487 samples looked for antibodies formed during a coronavirus infection, and found 22 of the donors positive.  
That puts the Danish scientists' estimates up to 20 times lower than those of the World Health Organization, which is putting deaths at anywhere between one percent and three percent of the number who contract Covid-19. However, the research team noted a number of caveats should be kept in mind when reviewing the figures, saying they are “complex” and pointing out that blood donors tend to be healthier than average members of the population. They also note that it’s likely some of those tested had already recovered from a coronavirus infection, but their blood was no longer showing antibodies.
The test looked for antibodies formed during an infection and found that 22 donors out of the 1,487 were positive, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reported. With adjustments for imperfect tests – and with the generous assumption that blood donors are representative of wider society – the research estimated some 127,000 Danes have been infected with the virus, Henrik Ullum, chief physician and professor at Rigshospitalet, told Danish media.
However, medics have urged caution when reviewing the figures, saying they are “complex” while also pointing out that blood donors tend to be healthier than average members of the population.
The head of the Danish Health Authority said earlier there was “a lot of contagion in Denmark” adding that there was a “huge, somber amount” of undiagnosed Danes. Taking that figure and comparing it to the known deaths from the novel coronavirus in Denmark, indicates a mortality rate of 0.16 percent. At the time of the research, though, Denmark had recorded 203 deaths from the coronavirus. That toll had already risen to 321 as of Thursday. 
Denmark has so far recorded 6,879 cases of coronavirus and 309 deaths out of a population of 5.8 million. The head of the Danish Health Authority said earlier there was “a lot of contagion in Denmark” adding that there was a “huge, somber amount” of undiagnosed people in the country.
Danes have been in a lockdown since mid-March but plans to relax the measures came in on Wednesday. As a first step, day care centres and schools for children in first to fifth grade reopened. According to the latest government figures, Denmark has so far recorded 6,879 cases of coronavirus out of a population of 5.8 million. This currently represents a death rate of roughly 4.6 percent of all officially detected cases. The World Health Organization back in March estimated the crude mortality ratio of Covid-19 to be between 3-4%, but has not been tracking the constantly fluctuating value noting that the true figures “will take some time to fully understand.”
Danes have been in a lockdown since mid-March, but moves to relax the measures came in on Wednesday. As a first step, day care centers and schools for children in first to fifth grades reopened.
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