Time for an update of the mortality of COVID 19. In the charts below, I show some selected countries and three statistics: the rate of testing for COVID 19, the cumulative number of confirmed cases and the case fatality rate.

First, the testing rate.

Next cumulative cases.

Finally, the case fatality rate.

Observations:

First, the case fatality rate has been falling after April in all countries except Australia. Australia is currently sitting second place (in this sample) for CFR.

Second, case numbers continue to rise.

Third, rates of testing have generally risen throughout the year, with some intra-year variations.

Conclusions:

The case fatality rate is probably still an overstatement. This is because as more cases are detected, proportionately fewer deaths are resulting. There are likely to be more cases that have not been detected – the people who suffered very mild, or no, symptoms and do not turn up in the cases data. Economy wide lockdowns and totalitarian Government responses were never justifiable – this data proves that.

2020 – the year of Waiting for Godot.