: High levels of population immunity—gained through a combination of vaccines and natural infection—have created a robust buffer against fatal outcomes for most people.

: Males have consistently experienced approximately 60% higher mortality than females throughout all five years of the pandemic.

: Death rates remain sharply concentrated among the elderly. Approximately 84% of COVID-19 deaths projected for 2025–2026 occur in individuals aged 65 and older.

: The move from highly fatal variants like Delta to more transmissible but generally less severe lineages like Omicron and its descendants (e.g., JN.1) significantly lowered the case-fatality rate.