A: Yes. Many, many more people are being hospitalized and dying with COVID than even a very bad flu season.
To visualize ICU admissions in England compared to recent flu seasons, check out this animation from Jonathan Burn-Murdoch at the Financial Times.
We’ve previously written on the current best estimates of the COVID-19 infection fatality rate (IFR) compared to flu, which you can find here
Updated Flu/Covid Infection Fatality Rates (IFRs) here
TL;DR:
⚡ For 70-year-olds, COVID is ~25X more deadly than the flu *if you are infected*.
⚡ For 50-year-olds: ~15X more as deadly
⚡ For 30-year olds: ~5X more deadly
⚡ For <20s COVID likely less or equally deadly to the flu
Also, we must recall that a much smaller fraction of the population is infected each flu season (around 8%, due to immunity from previous exposures & vaccinations). The whole population has been vulnerable to COVID-19, so even similar IFRs would add up to many more deaths for COVID-19.
🤒 US COVID-19 deaths (may be even higher as measured by “excess mortality”):
2020: 319,784
🤒 US Flu Deaths:
2019-2020: 21,909
2018-2019: 34,157
2017-2018: 61,099
2016-2017: 38,230
2015-2016: 22,705
One thing to be glad about is that incidence of flu has plummeted since the beginning of COVID-19, likely due to social distancing measures and potential viral interference/competition with SARS-CoV-2.
So just in case anyone you know asks: NO, COVID IS NOT LIKE A BAD FLU.
Stay Safe, Stay Sane.
Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
#COVID #Flu #Nottheflu #DearPandemic
Links to CDC Flu Data:
