How Does COVID-19 Compare With Regular Flu?

I prepared the chart below to put the current hysteria over the Wuhan virus in perspective. It presents simple data in a simple fashion. The first column shows average global influenza deaths per season, according to the Centers for Disease Control. CDC offered a range of 291,000 to 646,000; the column represents the midpoint of that range. The second column is flu deaths suffered in the U.S. in the 2017-2018 season, i.e. two years ago. CNN reported that number, citing CDC, as 80,000, but the current CDC site shows a lower figure of 61,000 deaths, which I have used here.

The third column shows deaths in the U.S. from COVID-19. It is there, but you can’t see it yet. The fourth column shows worldwide deaths from COVID-19, as reported by the World Health Organization.

Click to enlarge:

Will global deaths from COVID-19 eventually equal the average worldwide total for a flu season, or will the COVID-19 toll here in the U.S. equal the relatively harsh flu season of two years ago? They might or might not; I will continue to update the chart periodically. One thing we can say with certainty is that the COVID-19 hype quotient is astronomical.

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