The Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has changed its estimation about coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) mortality rate.
THL has raised its estimated coronavirus mortality rate to 0.2% and that means 5,000-6,000 Covid-19 deaths in Finland if half of the population is infected with the virus.
According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, THL’s mortality estimate is still significantly lower than the British Imperial College of London’s estimate, which is 0.9% in the UK by mid-March.
Back in mid-March, THL estimated that the infectious mortality rate could be in the range of 0.1% or less. However, THL expert Tuija Leino told that the model has been adjusted to reflect age-related severity. “We have now got the age distribution better in place,” said Leino.
One of the biggest problems in the Nordics is the spread of the virus in nursing homes. In Finland, most of the 75 people who have died of the virus have been elderly home care residents.
Mortality among 60-69-year old’s in THL's current model was around 0.05%. However, THL estimated that about 3% of those infected between the ages of 70 and 79 in Finland will not survive the illness.
Finland is closely monitoring the first antibody testing results emerging in Denmark, according to the report.
In Denmark, initial results indicated that about 3.5% of the residents in the Copenhagen metropolitan area had been infected with coronavirus.
As a result of the illness and the asymptomatic infection, antibodies are formed in the body that can protect against a new infection. Finland began gradually rolling out antibody testing the first week in April.
