The death rate from the new coronavirus may have been lower than previously believed in the city in China where it originated, according to a new study, offering a hopeful sign for other parts of the world.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Nature Medicine, found that the death rate among people who had symptoms was 1.4% in Wuhan, China, as of Feb. 29.

That rate is lower than previous estimates of mortality rates for Covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus, in Wuhan and China overall. A report by an international mission of experts led by the World Health Organization reported last month that the mortality rate in Wuhan was 5.8% in the first several weeks of the epidemic.

The rate cited in the study is also lower than a crude calculation of the global death rate, which has ranged between approximately 2% and 4%. That calculation is based on the number of confirmed cases and deaths world-wide, which change daily.

Yet it is still deadlier than seasonal flu, which has a mortality rate of about 0.1%.