Health/Medical
See other Health/Medical Articles
Title: Differences: COVID-19 and the Flu
Source:
John Hopkins Medicine
URL Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hea ... avirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu
Published: Apr 17, 2020
Author: Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H.
Post Date: 2020-04-17 22:43:15 by Gatlin
Keywords: None
Views: 1071
Comments: 7
(1 image)
Differences: COVID-19 and the Flu
Influenza (the flu) and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses. Although the symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu can look similar, the two illnesses are caused by different viruses.
Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins, explains how the flu and COVID-19 are similar and how they are different.
Similarities: COVID-19 and the Flu
Symptoms
- Both cause fever, cough, body aches and fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
- Can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases.
- Can result in pneumonia.
Transmission
- Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.
- A possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route (see details below under Differences).
- Both can be spread by an infected person for several days before their symptoms appear.
Treatment
- Neither virus is treatable with antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections.
- Both are treated by addressing symptoms, such as reducing fever. Severe cases may require hospitalization and support such as mechanical ventilation.
Prevention
Both may be prevented by frequent, thorough hand washing, coughing into the crook of your elbow, staying home when sick and limiting contact with people who are infected. Social and physical distancing can limit the spread of COVID-19 in communities.
Differences: COVID-19 and the Flu
Cause
COVID-19: Caused by one virus, the novel 2019 coronavirus, now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2.
Flu: Caused by any of several different types and strains of influenza viruses.
Transmission
While both the flu and COVID-19 may be transmitted in similar ways (see the Similarities section above), there is also a possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route, meaning that tiny droplets remaining in the air could cause disease in others even after the ill person is no longer near.
Antiviral Medications
COVID-19: Antiviral medications and other therapies are currently being tested to see if they can address symptoms.
Flu: Antiviral medications can address symptoms and sometimes shorten the duration of the illness.
Vaccine
COVID-19: No vaccine is available at this time, though it is in progress.
Flu: A vaccine is available and effective to prevent some of the most dangerous types or to reduce the severity of the flu.
Infections
COVID-19: Approximately 2,169,022 cases worldwide; 671,425 cases in the U.S. as of Apr. 17, 2020.*
Flu: Estimated 1 billion cases worldwide; 9.3 million to 45 million cases in the U.S. per year.
Deaths
COVID-19: Approximately 146,071 deaths reported worldwide; 33,286 deaths in the U.S., as of Apr. 17, 2020.*
Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.
The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. Since this disease is caused by a new virus, people do not have immunity to it, and a vaccine may be many months away. Doctors and scientists are working on estimating the mortality rate of COVID-19, but at present, it is thought to be higher than that of most strains of the flu.
*This information comes from the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases map developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
COVID-19 Lethality Not Much Different Than Flu, Says New Study
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen.
The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning.
Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom.
#2. To: Gatlin (#0)
Both can be spread from person to person through droplets in the air from an infected person coughing, sneezing or talking.A possible difference: COVID-19 might be spread through the airborne route
Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.
In Lisa's case M.D. must be the abbreviation for Master of Doubletalk
noun: doubletalk...deliberately unintelligible speech combining nonsense syllables and actual words.
#3. To: Deckard (#1)
COVID-19 Lethality Not Much Different Than Flu, Says New Study The article you posted specifically states:
The researchers conclude …… then …
Assuming that their findings are happily confirmed …
Therefore the findings have not been confirmed. They are merely speculative. And the author is merely making a supposition.
if he is not, then why not?
#4. To: Deckard (#1)
COVID-19 Lethality Not Much Different Than Flu, Says New Study The coronavirus death rate in the US is far higher than that of the flu — here's how the 2 compare across age ranges.
#5. To: Gatlin (#4)
Gatlin, my FRiend...I am prepared to call it today. Not only will Joe Biden NOT be the RATZ candidate to get SMOKED by TheDonald in November. I will go so far to predict with 100% surety...mark MUDZ words...if SleepyJoe is the RAT-nominee 4 POTUS in 2020, not only will the RATZ losebthebHouse in a landslide that will set a new precedent for Americsn elections..and the Senate will be 60+ GOPers running things.. And Ole JalopyJoe will fail to win a single State...he will win the District of Columbia...and NOTHING ELSE!!
THEN...Va Governor MORON will sign legislation ceding NOVA to DeeCee. Ol Virginny is sooo much better WITHOUT NOVA!! LET THEM STEW in tge Swamp and leave decent Virginians to fend 4 ourselves!!
Quite sincerely...MUD
"NOW...Devolve Power Outta the Federal Leviathan!!"
#6. To: Deckard (#1)
With the new info we're getting which purports to show 1-2 magnitudes more people infected than official counts, that might be true. Though if no covid infectees received any medical treatment, the death rate would certainly be higher.
Where I am, the death rate from Covid is apparently 5-6 times higher tahn all other causes of death combined. That based on numbers of dead now per week compared to this time last year.
#7. To: Deckard (#1)
COVID-19 Lethality Not Much Different Than Flu, Says New Study People are comparing COVID-19 deaths to the flu.
Here's why it doesn't work.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]