Originally Posted by
stimpy
Thank you for that. So despite some of the claims here, the Coronavirus is JUST LIKE THE FLU. In the manner that means the most to the most people. Doctors who specialize in infectious diseases told NBC News it's too early in the study of the disease to draw conclusive links between gender or any particular pre-existing health conditions and the risk of death. Instead, much like with the flu and other common illnesses, each individual's overall health appears to matter more.
Death from the coronavirus is caused by respiratory failure brought on by pneumonia, said Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Whether patients survive a severe illness comes down to their ability to withstand the symptoms.
“Once you get into acute respiratory distress syndrome, it's about how well can your body handle the stress,” said Stephenson, who specializes in vaccine development for infectious diseases.
A) It IS just like the flu: people with underlying health vulnerabilities are more likely to have adverse outcomes including hospitalization and death.
B) It's NOT like the flu: the chances of said people needing hospital or dieing is 10x higher for COVID-19 than seasonal flu.
Both statements are true and not mutually exclusive.
What's extraordinary for me is the ability to just read what one wants to justify one's actions...
China has (for now) brought COVID-19 under control through aggressive measures. To be fair, it's not completely clear which measures are the most effective...but I'm pretty sure "business as usual" is not one of them...
tb