Quote (Subzer0isGG @ Mar 2 2020 11:11am)
Except the coronavirus has proven to be almost more contagious and far more deadly than the common flu.
0.1% mortality
2% mortality
In 20 million infected that’s a kill rate difference of:
20,000 deaths
400,000 deaths
But keep on thinking the flu is worse.
E/ another way to look at it, coronavirus will kill the same amount as the flu does if the flu infected only 20,000,000 people (20,000 dead) and the coronavirus infected 1,000,000 (20,000 dead)
Staggering difference
I don't think experts have been able to demonstrate yet that the coronavirus is objectively deadlier than the seasonal flu. Lethality comes from death rates comparisons, which are entirely from epidemiology. There are robust estimates of people who contract the seasonal flu but never seek medical treatment (who make up the vast majority of cases), but not for coronavirus, so they rely entirely on self-reported cases.
Of course, no one wants to risk that the recent outbreak is as deadly as SARS was because by the time scientists can find out for sure it would be too late.