Coronavirus vs Flu
Flu much more likely to kill you than Coronavirus
Worried about Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID19)? From the amount of press coverage the illness has gotten so far, you’d think Americans were dropping dead in the street from the respiratory infection that mimics the symptoms of a cold. Turns out the regular old flu is much more likely to be deadly.
So far, only six Americans have died from COVID19, All are from Washington State. One was a man in his 50s with other medical conditions, the others are linked to the same nursing home. The CDC says 43 people in the US have been diagnosed with the virus and that 48 Americans who recently traveled abroad have also been diagnosed. The majority of those traveling abroad who got sick were on the same cruise ship.
Since October, the flu has made 45 million Americans ill. That’s a million times more people than those who’ve caught COVID19 in the U.S. Up to 46,000 people have died from the flu.
Just as with COVID19, the majority of those people had pre-existing health issues or were very young or elderly.
Does that mean you should take precautions against COVID19? You should take the same precautions you would against flu and colds. Frequently hand washing, sanitizing surfaces and home or at work, and staying home when you’re sick as to not make others ill.
At last reporting, the Ohio Department of Health says there have been no cases of COVID19 in the state. There have been no reported cases in Kentucky, West Virginia, or any other state that borders Ohio, either.