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Coronavirus Compared to the Flu 35

How Does the New

Coronavirus Compare

with the Flu?

By Rachael Rettner

Since the new coronavirus was first discovered
in January, many people have compared it with
a more well-known disease: The flu.

Many of these comparisons pointed to the
perhaps underappreciated toll of the flu, which
causes millions of illnesses and tens of
thousands of deaths every year in the U.S.
alone. (During the current flu season, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates that there have been 39 million
to 56 million flu illnesses and 24,000 to 62,000
flu deaths in the U.S., although that number is
an estimate based on hospitalizations with flu
symptoms, not based on actually counting up
every person who has died of flu.)

The new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has
caused more than 1 million illnesses and 60,000
lung disease or diabetes, appear to be at higher rate for COVID-19; the rate can vary by
deaths in the U.S. as of April 29, according to
risk for more serious complications from location, age of person infected and the presence
data from Johns Hopkins University.Both
COVID-19, compared with people in younger of underlying health conditions, Live Science
COVID-19 and the flu are respiratory illnesses.
age groups and those without underlying previously reported.
But COVID-19 is not the flu. Research so far
conditions.
indicates that COVID-19 spreads more easily
Among reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S.,
and has a higher death rate than the flu.
The overall hospitalization rate for COVID-19 nearly 6% have died. This is what's known as the
in the U.S. is about 29 hospitalizations per case fatality rate, which is determined by
Scientists are racing to find out more about
100,000 people as of April 18, although the dividing the number of deaths by the total
COVID-19, and our understanding may change
hospitalization rate for adults ages 65 and older number of confirmed cases. But the case fatality
as new information becomes available. Based
is higher, at 95 hospitalizations per 100,000 rate is limited for a few reasons. First, not
on what we know so far, here's how it compares
people, according to the CDC. However, everyone with COVID-19 is being diagnosed
with the flu.
because fewer people have likely gotten with the disease — this is in part due to testing
COVID-19 in the U.S. than have gotten the flu, limitations in the U.S. and the fact that people
Symptoms and severity
the odds of becoming hospitalized if you have a who experience mild or moderate symptoms
confirmed case of COVID-19 are thought to be may not be eligible for or seek out testing. As the
Both seasonal flu viruses (which include
higher than the odds of being hospitalized with number of confirmed cases goes up, the fatality
influenza A and influenza B viruses) and
influenza. rate may decrease.
COVID-19 are contagious viruses that cause
respiratory illness.
Children are a high risk group for complications Researchers from Columbia University recently
from flu, but this doesn't seem to be the case for estimated that only 1 in 12 cases of COVID-19
Typical flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore
COVID-19 — few children have been in the U.S. are documented, which they said
throat, muscle aches, headaches, runny or stuffy
hospitalized with the new coronavirus. A study would translate to an infection fatality rate of
nose, fatigue and, sometimes, vomiting and
of COVID-19 cases in the United States about 0.6%, according to The Washington Post.
diarrhea, according to the CDC. Flu symptoms
published March 18 found that, among 4,226 But even this lower estimate is still at least six
often come on suddenly. Most people who get
reported cases, at least 508 people (12%) were times higher than that of the flu. (The case
the flu will recover in less than two weeks. But
hospitalized, and of these, less than 1% were fatality rate in people who become sick with flu
in some people, the flu causes complications,
younger than 20 years old. In addition, no may be 0.1%, but when you account for people
including pneumonia. The overall
fatalities among children were reported. who become infected with flu but never show
hospitalization rate in the U.S. for flu this
symptoms, the death rate will be half or even a
season is about 68 hospitalizations per 100,000
It's important to note that, because respiratory quarter of that, the Post reported.)
people, according to the CDC.
viruses cause similar symptoms, it can be
difficult to distinguish different respiratory What's more, unlike the flu, for which there is a
With COVID-19, doctors are still trying to
viruses based on symptoms alone, according to vaccine, everyone in the population is
understand the full picture of disease symptoms
the World Health Organization. theoretically susceptible to COVID-19. So while
and severity. Reported symptoms in patients
the flu affects 8% of the U.S. population every
have varied from mild to severe, and can
Death rate year, according to the CDC, between 50% and
include fever, cough and shortness of breath,
80% of the population could be infected with
according to the CDC. Other symptoms may
The death rate from seasonal flu is typically COVID-19, according to a study published
include fever, chills, repeated shaking with
around 0.1% in the U.S., according to news March 30 in the journal The Lancet. In the U.S.,
chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and
reports. that would translate to 1 million deaths from
new loss of taste or smell. COVID-19
COVID-19 if half the population becomes
symptoms appear to come on more gradually
Though the death rate for COVID-19 is unclear, infected and there are no social distancing
than those of flu, according to Healthline.
almost all credible research suggests it is much measures or therapeutics, the Post reported.
higher than that of the seasonal flu.
Older adults and people with underlying
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medical conditions, including heart disease,
It's important to note that there is no one death