Differences Between the Coronavirus vs Flu
What are the differences between the coronavirus vs the Flu? We have comparison information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most frequent symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. These symptoms also happen to show up with influenza. Sharing symptoms with the common flu – along with the coronavirus appearing in the middle of flu season – have prompted inevitable comparisons. It is a fact that thousands of people die from the flu every year. Many people, including President Trump, have pointed this out in an effort to ease anxiety about the coronavirus. While there are many unknowns about the coronavirus, we do know that it is a totally different disease from influenza. Comparing the two diseases is “missing the point”, public health officials explain. Yes, there are similarities between flu and coronavirus but “it’s a little simple to think the novel coronavirus is just like flu,” says Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security.
COVID-19 vs Flu Mortality Rate
Last year, 34,000 people in the United States died from the flu. The CDC estimates this number fluctuates between 12,000 to 61,000 deaths each year. Using CDC data, experts calculate the average mortality rate for the flu is 0.1%. Meaning, 1 out of 1000 flu cases result in death. In contrast, data from WHO estimates that the coronavirus mortality rate is around 1%. Meaning, 10 out of 1000 coronavirus cases result in death, which is 10x more lethal than the seasonal flu.
Transmission Rate
Preliminary data indicates the novel coronavirus is much more transmissible than the flu with an average incubation period of 5 days. People may be contagious before symptoms develop, making it difficult or even impossible to control the spread of the virus. On average, each person with the coronavirus appears to infect 2.2 other people. Conversely, a flu patient is most contagious three or four days AFTER symptoms begin. According to the CDC, and the average flu patient spreads the virus to 1.3 other people.
Hospitalization Rate
Another reason not to compare the two viruses is that influenza has likely been around for thousands of years. Humans have built up immunity over generations. It has been studied intensively and several vaccines exist. Our healthcare system is set up to handle the flu season with only 1%-2% of flu cases needing hospitalization for an average of five to six days. By comparison, the new coronavirus is three months old, people have no established immunity and experts predict a vaccine is still 12-18 months away. Data analyzed from China shows a hospitalization rate of 20% for coronavirus patients (10x higher than flu) for an average of 11 days. Yes, the flu is a problem every year but the new coronavirus threatens to put a much greater burden on health systems than the flu does.
Preliminary Predictions
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Trump administration’s top health official on the coronavirus task force says he estimates, “between 100,000 and 200,000” people may die from COVID-19, and millions more will be infected. This is based on modeling of the current pace of the coronavirus spread in the U.S. as of April 1. No one knows what percentage of the population will eventually contract COVID-19 but widespread transmission is expected in the coming months. The CDC predicts most of the U.S. population will be exposed to the virus. Left unchecked, coronavirus has the potential to be worse in terms of deaths than the flu. We need to take coronavirus seriously right now.
Agents
As we continue on this coronavirus journey, remember to keep your health, your employee’s health and your client’s health at the forefront.
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