4 Reasons Covid-19 Is More Deadly Than Influenza

The annual seasonal flu and current coronavirus pandemics can look very similar. Both spread in the same way, have similar symptoms, and both can be fatal.

However, the global response to the new coronavirus is very different and there are four main reasons. mirror..

The new coronavirus has killed more than 64,000 people in the UK so far this year, according to statistics from the National Statistical Office.

On average, 17,000 people die from influenza each year in the UK, according to the UK Public Health Service.

There are four differences between Covid-19 and seasonal influenza.

Scientists have not yet seen human immunity to Covid-19

There is no Covid-19 vaccine yet, but the NHS offers a new influenza jab each year to fight the latest seasonal strains.

Scientists say Covid spreads beyond seasonal flu-and our lack of immunity is a major factor.

Professor Linsey Marr, an aerial virus expert who lectures on civil engineering and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech in the United States, said: Huffington Post People in certain rooms are more likely to get the coronavirus than influenza, not because of the nature of the virus itself, but because of the lack of immunity in the population.

Some people with Covid-19 show no symptoms

Covid-19 and the flu share several symptoms, including high temperature and cough. Both could see you experience a dry cough, and with Covid the cough will persist.

People with the flu often experience headaches and loss of appetite.

However, scientists discovered early in the pandemic that some people could catch and carry Covid-19 without showing symptoms.

And this is another reason why the coronavirus spreads more widely and rapidly than seasonal flu.

If you do not know that someone is infected with the virus because there are no signs of symptoms, you will not quarantine or avoid others. In other words, you will unknowingly spread the virus.

Some scientists even suggest that about 40% to 50% of people who catch Covid-19 are asymptomatic.

Influenza may be asymptomatic, but the main difference is the long incubation period of Covid-19.

According to Professor Ma, the incubation period (the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms) is up to 14 days in Covid, but people with the flu tend to have symptoms within 3 days.

The “viral load” of influenza (the amount of virus in body fluids) does not tend to begin until symptoms appear.

But with Covid-19, this can take up to two weeks.

Higher virus spread

Professor Ma said that on average, people with seasonal flu will spread the flu to the other 1.3 people.

However, with the coronavirus, the spread of the virus almost doubles to 2.5 people.

Covid infection is different in children

Children exhibit different Covid symptoms than adults, and the World Health Organization states that “children are an important driver of influenza virus infection in the community.”

In addition, “In the case of the Covid-19 virus, initial data show that children are less affected than adults and have a lower clinical incidence in the 0-19 year old group.

“Further preliminary data from domestic infection studies in China suggest that children are infected from adults, and vice versa.”

WHO also reminded children that children are known to be at increased risk of developing severe infections when it comes to seasonal influenza.

Children under the age of 6 are at greatest risk of serious flu complications because their immune system is underdeveloped, fragile, and too young to be vaccinated against the flu.

WHO added: “In the case of Covid-19, our current understanding is that older people and underlying illnesses increase the risk of severe infections.”