The mortality rate (or death rate) refers to the number of deaths that occur in a particular population over a specific period of time.
The actual mortality rate of people infected with COVID-19 varies from one population to another, which is one reason the numbers may look vastly different in China than they do in the United States or Italy.
With the coronavirus it is difficult to predict an accurate death rate because the number of people who are actually infected is still widely unknown, primarily due to undertesting. That is why the the mortality rate may look much higher than it actually is. (The World Health Organization initially said the mortality rate for COVID-19 was 3.4% globally.)
Epidemiologists and experts who are studying COVID-19 believe that a more reliable death rate is about 1 percent. It is important for people to realize that it is normal for the mortality rate of coronavirus to change over time as experts account for things like the delay in the reporting of deaths and potential uncounted cases. Additionally, current research indicates that COVID-19 is more deadly for the elderly.