Case- fatality rate in COVID- 19 patients: A meta- analysis of publicly accessible database

A novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019 to cause severe acute respiratory symptoms (COVID-19). In this meta-analysis, we estimated case fatality rate from COVID-19 infection by random effect meta-analysis model with country level data. Publicly accessible web database WorldOMeter (<ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/</ext-link>) was accessed on 24th March 2020 GMT and reported total number of cases, total death, active cases and seriously ill/ critically ill patients were retrieved. Primary outcome of this meta-analysis was case fatality rate defined by total number of deaths divided by total number of diagnosed cases. Pooled case fatality rate (95% CI) was 1.78 (1.34-2.22) %. Between country heterogeneity was 0.018 (p<0.0001). Pooled estimate of composite poor outcome (95% CI) was 4.06 (3.24-4.88) % at that point of time after exclusion of countries reported small number of cases. Pooled mortality rate (95% CI) was 33.97 (27.44-40.49) % amongst closed cases (where patients have recovered or died) with. Meta regression analysis identified statistically significant association between health expenditure and case fatality rate (p=0.0017).