How Does the Coronavirus Compare to the Flu?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Is this new coronavirus really a serious danger? Doesn’t the flu kill more people?

As the United States recorded its first coronavirus death Saturday — and as other cases popped up in people without known risks on the West Coast — Americans wondered how to measure this new threat against a more familiar foe: influenza.

President Donald Trump, a self-described germaphobe, said Wednesday he was amazed to learn that tens of thousands of Americans died from the flu each year, contrasting that number with the 60 or so known to be infected with the coronavirus. On Friday, Trump accused the news media and Democrats of exaggerating the dangers of the virus.

“The flu kills people,” Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said Wednesday. “This is not Ebola. It’s not SARS, it’s not MERS. It’s not a death sentence.”

-more-

https://news.yahoo.com/does-coronavirus-compare-flu-171248744.html

[defacto7]

1. Let's stick with the experts and the stats.

Yahoo is biased leaning toward finance. No science here.

[Laffy Kat]

2. They are two different families of virus.

Apple v oranges.

[unblock]

3. When the hype dies down, covid-19 will be thought of a merely another strain of a cold

Granted it is a more lethal strain, but fundamentally, it is a cold, which is caused by any of a number strains of coronaviruses and rhinoviruses.

The flu, caused by the influenza virus, kills more people mainly because it's already extremely widespread. Covid-19 kills more of the people who become infected, but so far the number of infected people is tiny compared to the far more common influenza virus

[Blues Heron]

5. Actually the flu is caused by the influenza virus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza

Coranavirus is not a strain of flu virus - it's a different virus family.

on edit never mind I see you edited your post.

[Crunchy Frog]

7. The kind of cold that frequently puts people into the ICU on a ventilator.

From what I've read, there are probably already hundreds of cases in Washington State, but they're not being registered because there are almost tests available.

With how contagious this is, and how little the government is doing, I expect possibly a massive outbreak in this country.

[smirkymonkey]

4. I posted on Friday that this is an argument that some of my co-workers are having.

They don't take it any more seriously than they take the flu. They are not afraid of catching it and they think if they do, they will easily recover. Since they are young and healthy, they don't feel threatened.

I honestly don't know what to say about it at this point, except that we don't know the potential and there is not a vaccine yet. However, I do know that I am not going to listen to the likes of Trump, Pence and Rush Limbaugh. I will pay attention to the advice of the medical and scientific community, even if they are being over vigilant. I think it's best to err on the side of caution here.

[lapfog_1]

6. Each of these viruses needs to be evaluated on its own terms.

It's a novel virus.

fatality rate for the flu is .1 to .2 percent.

Covid-19 estimated fatality rate is 2.5%, but the measured fatality rate (based on 45,000 outcomes so far) is 6.5%.

We should not panic, but we should treat this seriously.

If I were the candidates, I would seriously consider halting future rallies and such. I was to attend a convention at the end of this month... probably not going. I have another to go to in June... we will see if I should attend that one.

I treat more seriously than most because I'm over 60 and have pre-existing medical issues... so if I contract the virus, I would have a much more serious case than someone 20 years old.

[Crunchy Frog]

8. I've seen closer to .01 to .05 for flu.