Prior to 2020, none of us could’ve imagined that there will be such a menacing virus that’ll bring the entire world to a complete stop and lock all of us inside our homes. But as we bid farewell to 2019, 2020 brought the world a new year’s gift in the form of a pandemic. Covid-19, this one word with two digits has struck unimaginable horror in most people and it’s for good reason. Scientists and past events have proven that it is far worse than influenza(seasonal flu).
Similarities among Coronavirus and Flu
A representation of H1N1 Influenza virus.
Before we get into the differences, we must look into their similarities. Most people claimed that these are basically the same and there was no need for isolation and precautions.
- Both coronavirus and flu cause illnesses such as coughing, fever, body pain, and headaches.
- Both are caused by the transmission of droplets via sneezing, coughing, and/or coming in contact with the surfaces touched by the infected individual.
- Both of these can affect a person to varying degrees. It can be anywhere from mild to severe depending on the individuals’ immunity.
This is where the similarities end.
Differences between Coronavirus and Flu
Now let’s look into what differentiates Covid-19 and the common flu.
- Lack of smell or taste is a symptom of coronavirus along with difficulty in breathing and lung failure. Although lung failure doesn’t always happen it is observed in many patients.
- Unlike the flu, a person infected by coronavirus can spread the infection even if they don’t feel sick or have any of the symptoms.
- While the flu’s symptoms can be observed in 1-4 days, Covid-19 has an incubation period of up to 14 days. Meaning, it can take up to 14 days to even see any sign of this virus.
As you can see there are quite some differences in the way both of these acts.
Why Coronavirus is more dangerous than the Flu?
Covid-19 under an electron microscope.
- To begin with, we must talk about the lethality of these two. Though when it first appeared, influenza was an extremely deadly virus that claimed over 500 million lives in 1918, however, it was in 1918, as our medical science advances we have reduced these rates to around 25,000-30,000 deaths per year which is still a problem but is a great improvement compared to the original numbers. Even with our modern medical science, research, and instant communication means, 3 million people lost their lives to the coronavirus in 2020.
- Another factor that made coronavirus so worse is that its patient requires a ventilator for up to 14 days until they recover fully. Even in first-world countries, ventilators were in shortage and people were just dying in the corridors of the hospitals. Not to mention, medical premises were overrun with patients, as the ratio of doctors to patients drastically rose to 1:50 overnight. Medical staff in the entire world was facing a situation that can be only described as chaos.
- Finally, the dreadful reality even after death. With any other virus usually, the deceased body is returned to the family or receives proper burial or fire. But with Covid-19, it makes it so that even after one passes away the virus still lingers and it can still get transmitted to others. Therefore, hospitalized cremations and instant burials were put into action and in 2020 they basically were done what can only be described as commercial to protect others.
Now in 2021, we have finally come up with multiple vaccines of this deadly virus and more than half of the world is vaccinated against this virus now. However, we must still take precautions and act accordingly towards this formidable foe.
