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Efforts to get an accurate estimate of the mortality linked to COVID-19 have been handicapped by erratic testing patterns, large numbers of asymptomatic carriers, and clear age-related differences in severity of illness. Indiana researchers now have calculated specific infection fatality ratios (IFRs) using data from a statewide point-prevalence study among community-dwelling residents, many of whom were asymptomatic.
At the end of April 2020, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing were performed on a random sample of >3600 noninstitutionalized Indiana residents (age, ≥12) as well as an additional 900 nonrandomly recruited individuals enrolled to broaden the sample's racial and ethnic diversity. Almost 40% of PCR-pos…