PH’s Covid-19 case fatality rate at 6.6%: DOH

The case fatality rate reflects the proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of people diagnosed with the disease in a population. (File Photo by CDC/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said the case fatality rate for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the Philippines is at 6.6 percent.

In a virtual meeting of the House of Representatives’ Defeat Covid-19 Committee, DOH Undersecretary Lilibeth David said the global case fatality rate for Covid-19 is at 6.4 percent.

David noted other countries with higher death rates include Italy at 12.9 percent Spain at 10.5 percent, and Indonesia at 9.4 percent.

The case fatality rate reflects the proportion of deaths from a certain disease compared to the total number of people diagnosed with the disease in a population.

David cited the World Health Organization (WHO) data showing that there are 1.9 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the globe.

She said that while the Philippines recorded the highest number of cases in the Southeast Asian region, the country contributes 0.28 percent of cases and 0.28 percent of confirmed deaths globally.

“Most of our confirmed cases and admitted cases are those in the working-age group and older, 20 years and above. But if we look at our deaths, it’s really the older person group at 50 years old and older,” David said.

She said the countries with the most number of Covid-19 cases include the United States, Italy, Spain, and China.

As of April 15, the total number of patients tested stands at 42,215, with 14.66 percent of individuals who tested positive for the virus, David noted.