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The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for several months now, and we are all exhausted by the rules to reduce the risk of transmission. There are more and more voices that the coronavirus is like the flu and you should end all this madness and start living normally. However, it is enough to look at the statistics to see that COVID-19 is much more dangerous than the flu.
- In the 2019/2020 flu season, we recorded 3 cases of influenza and suspected flu in Poland. Since March 769, we have been struggling with the COVID-480 pandemic in Poland – so far 2020 people have been infected
- When you compare the COVID-19 and flu mortality rates, you can clearly see which disease is more serious
Summary of the flu season in Poland
According to the data of the National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, in the 2019/2020 flu season (from September 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020) a total of 3 cases of influenza and suspected influenza were reported in Poland. 16 people required hospitalization. The NIPH-NIH also reports 684 deaths due to influenza during this period.
The number of flu cases and flu suspicions has not changed much over the years. In the 2018/2019 season, 3,7 million cases were recorded, with the number of deaths then reaching 150, which was the highest in the last ten years.
This year, however, it is not the flu that keeps us awake at night, but the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which officially appeared in Poland on March 4. So far, the Ministry of Health has recorded 54 infections with this virus and 487 deaths due to COVID-1.
Due to the symptoms, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has begun to be compared to the seasonal flu or colds. While some symptoms are indeed similar, and people with coronavirus often experience it asymptomatically or slightly, it is irresponsible to compare the virus to the flu and to disregard it. Just compare the death rates to see which infection is more dangerous.
During the nine months of the flu season in Poland, 65 deaths due to influenza were recorded. In just over four months of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic, as many as 1 deaths were recorded.
The greatest number of deaths due to influenza (42) was recorded in the age group 65+. 17 deaths concerned people aged 15-64, and five cases aged 5-14. So it seems that the flu, like the coronavirus, is much more dangerous for people over 65.
What is the percentage of mortality from influenza and COVID-19? For influenza, this coefficient is 0,002, and for COVID-19 – 3,4. The difference is huge. However, it should be taken into account that in the case of COVID-19, we have documented SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections. In the case of seasonal flu, flu and suspected illness are included in the report, so this number is much higher.
| Disease | Total number of infections | Number of deaths | Mortality |
|---|---|---|---|
| flu | 3 769 480 | 64 | 0,002 |
| COVID-19 | 54 487 | 1 844 | 3,38 |
However, even taking into account experts’ estimates that in Poland there could be up to 2 million people infected with the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus, the death rate from COVID-19 is still higher than that due to influenza.
Let’s look at the data from the world. Americans, who protested the state shutdowns and restrictions, have often raised the argument that the flu kills more people than the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows something else. While approx. 0,1 percent. of people who contracted flu in the US die, the death rate in the US according to the CDC is 3,2 percent in the case of coronavirus. This means that the death rate from the coronavirus is more than 30 times greater than from the flu.
Mortality from influenza and COVID-19 varies by age group, but both appear to be particularly dangerous for people over the age of 65. In the USA, over 5,3 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection have already been recorded. 19 people died from COVID-169.
See also: The United States is not coping with the coronavirus epidemic. What mistakes were made?
Research shows that the influenza virus reproduction rate is 1,28, while the coronavirus reproduction rate at the onset of the epidemic was almost 3. This means that one person with the flu infects an average of 1,28 people, while a person infected with the coronavirus transmits it to 2,8 people on average.
By introducing restrictions such as social distancing and wearing mouth and nose guards, many countries have managed to reduce the R-factor of the coronavirus. However, to talk about stopping the epidemic, the coefficient must be lower than 1.
See more:
- Virus reproduction rate in Poland. The ministry provides official data
- The reproduction rate of the coronavirus in Germany is increasing. Will lockdown come back?
Coronavirus is also deadlier than the flu, as we showed earlier. Over 700 people worldwide died due to the coronavirus in six months. people. According to WHO estimates, about 3-5 million acute cases of influenza are registered annually and between 250 and 500 thousand deaths from it. Over 20 million people have contracted the coronavirus since the beginning of the year.
Another reason why the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is more dangerous than the flu is the fact that the coronavirus infection can be asymptomatic for a long time. In the case of flu, the incubation period of the virus is short. The CDC reports that people usually get sick within 24-72 hours after being infected. This means that if you catch the flu, you will develop symptoms fairly quickly and will be able to prevent transmission of the virus.
For SARS-CoV-2, the virus has an incubation period of 3 to 14 days and symptoms appear 4-5 days after exposure. A person with COVID-19 can become infectious 48 to 72 hours before symptoms appear. This means that before it knows that you are sick, it is also a source of virus transmission.
That is why scientists and experts emphasize the importance of following the rules: proper hand hygiene, distancing oneself, using face and nose shields, avoiding crowds of people.
Zobacz: What is the best protection against coronavirus infection? New research results
Unlike the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, flu is a much better understood virus. There are vaccines and drugs that can prevent or reduce the disease. Therefore, it is important to use common sense and adhere to the principles of social distancing.
Editors recommend:
- Why are zoonotic viruses dangerous to humans? Scientists explain
- Why does the coronavirus kill some and run like a cold in others?
- Why do epidemics usually start in Asia or Africa? Man’s expansion is to blame for everything
Have you been ill with COVID-19? Tell us about it – write to [email protected]
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