Okay, I need help to understand this coronavirus thing. So, I am sending this note to this brainy bunch. I just checked the CDC numbers about the seasonal flu.
NUMBER OF CASES/FATALITIES
So far this flu season, the CDC estimates that up to 45 million Americans have been infected, hospitalizing up to 560,000 and killing 46,000.
COVID-19:
U.S. at a Glance (3/18/20). Total cases: 7,038, Total deaths: 97, Jurisdictions
reporting cases: 54 (50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and US Virgin Islands)
HOW CONTAGIOUS
From current data, the basic reproduction number R0 for COVID-19 is estimated to be between 2 and 2.5. That is, on average, a single infected person will go on to infect about two other people within a susceptible population. (Because SARS-CoV-2 is new to humans, everyone is assumed to be susceptible.)
So far in this outbreak, the WHO has reported that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has primarily been between people who have had contact with each other, such as family members.
That’s in contrast to infections such as seasonal flu, which often spreads among unrelated people in the community and often before symptoms are apparent.
Seasonal flu has an estimate R0 of around 1.3. The highly contagious measles has an often-cited R0 range of 12 to 18, but some calculations have put the number at nearly 60.
R0 for CoVID-19 estimated at 2 to 2.5; R0 for seasonal flu estimated at 1.3. Not much difference.
QUESTION?
Both CoVID-19 and the season flu are dangerous. It appears my chances of get the flu are probably at least 1000 times greater than CoVID-19 and my chances of dying from the flu are 100 times greater than CoVID-19, but the world is not shutting done because of the flu. Why not?
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