SPOKANE, Wash. — Amid closures and canceled events across the country, the conversation regarding COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, is increasing in workplaces, at schools and on social media.
One common topic of conversation is comparing the flu to COVID-19. Our KREM 2 team researched the similarities and differences. The following breakdown is based on information from the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Similarities
Symptoms: Both the flu and COVID-19 present similar symptoms, such as fever, cough, aches and respiratory problems. They can both range from mild symptoms to death.
Transmission: The viruses can both be transmitted through contact, drops in the air from people coughing, sneezing or talking, and can be spread before a person shows symptoms.
Treatments: Neither the flu nor COVID-19 can be treated with antibiotics, as they are viral infections.
Differences
Transmission: Though transmission for the flu and coronavirus spread in similar ways, doctors think COVID-19 could continue spreading after a sick person leaves the room. The COVID-19 virus can hang in the air longer than the flu.
Treatments: Antiviral medications can be used to tame symptoms in flu patients. Doctors are still testing to see if antiviral medication can help with Coronavirus symptoms.
Vaccine: There is a flu vaccine, but there is not a COVID-19 vaccine.
By the numbers
COVID-19: As of the World Health Organizations March 11th report, there are 118,322 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide. Of those, 4,292 people have died. That is a 3.63% mortality rate.
Flu: There have been approximately 41 million cases of the flu this season. Of those, about 46,000 people have died. That is a .11% mortality rate.
It's important to remember the COVID-19 numbers are based on confirmed cases. Experts think the mortality rate is actually lower because there are more cases than have been confirmed. But researchers still think the mortality rate of COVID-19 is higher than the flu.
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Another aspect to keep in mind is majority of the people dying from COVID-19 are elderly and people with compromised immune symptoms.