The Coronavirus & The Flu

In the past five months, about 196,000 people died from the flu.

In the past five months, over 340,000 people died from the Coronavirus.

In the last five months, about 35,000 people died from the flu in the U.S.

In the last five months, over 96,000 people died from the Coronavirus in the U.S.

Comparing the Coronavirus to the flu is often the basis for pushing back against social distancing requests, but this is a flawed analysis, regardless of stats we quote like those above (from Johns Hopkins University).

We shouldn’t be comparing the two, we should be adding them together.  In 2020, the effects of the Coronavirus are being added to the regular, annual effects of the flu.  People are still getting the flu, and dying from it.  Now, there’s something new.

A couple years ago Puerto Rico was hit by two massive storms in the same hurricane season.  Residents didn’t get to debate which was worse–there was combined damage from BOTH.

2020 is not about comparison–it’s about a combination.

Thanks for reading.  Now please go wash your hands.