Flu vs Coronavirus: Which one is more dangerous? Facts that will blow your mind

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data * www.statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/ WHO data ** https://bit.ly/3cLz7dY

CRIPPLING PANIC OVER CORONAVIRUS? Many health professionals are rightly concerned about the novel coronavirus, dubbed by the WHO as "COVID-19". It's a stark new reality for us all. But in terms of real numbers, the common flu is posing a greater health threat to the rest of the world than the new coronavirus itself, say CDC experts.

CRIPPLING PANIC OVER CORONAVIRUS? Many health professionals are rightly concerned about the novel coronavirus, dubbed by the WHO as "COVID-19". It's a stark new reality for us all. But in terms of real numbers, the common flu is posing a greater health threat to the rest of the world than the new coronavirus itself, say CDC experts.

HEALTH EMERGENCY: The WHO has rightly declared coronavirus as a "public health emergency of international concern". The once-unknown virus strain that first erupted in the Chinese city of Wuhan, had been traced to bats — for which there’s still no antidote. There are 11 confirmed cases in the United States of coronavirus as of Monday.

FACT: Influenza has quietly killed 10,000 people in the US so far this flu season. Data: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

FLU AND PNEUMONIA DEATH RATE PER 100,000 POPULATION: The global frenzy over 2019-nCoV could lull us into ignoring a creeping common disease falling off the public radar — but is much deadlier, as these numbers show. Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/184574/deaths-by-influenza-and-pneumonia-in-the-us-since-1950/

FACT 2: The US CDC, in a January 31, 2020 bulletin, has warned the public not to drop their guard about influenza — which has caused at least 19 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 10,000 deaths so far this season.

SPIKE IN U.S. FLU CASES: Flu activity has now risen for 2 consecutive weeks, according to a January 31, 2020 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC estimates that influenza has resulted in between 9 million – 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 – 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 – 61,000 deaths annually since 2010. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

The CDC estimates the influenza in 2018-2019 was associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses and a staggering 34,200 deaths in the United States. At least 19 million people have come down with the flu in the U.S. with 180,000 ending up in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN: “In the US, it’s really a fear based on media and this being something new,” Dr. Jennifer Lighter, hospital epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, said of the new coronavirus. “When in reality, people can take measures to protect themselves against the flu, which is here and prevalent and has already killed 10,000 people.”