On social media, users often cite flu death tolls to downplay the novel coronavirus. But this comparison overlooks critical differences—here's why experts advise against it.
Skepticism about the coronavirus outbreak runs high. Comment sections on news articles frequently highlight flu statistics: over 10,000 deaths annually in France and 300,000 to 650,000 worldwide. By contrast, at the time, the 2019-nCoV outbreak had caused 360 deaths (one outside China) from about 17,500 confirmed cases. Health experts in the West provide these flu figures, yet the intent often seems to criticize overhyped media coverage of the coronavirus.
Experts argue this parallel is not valid. Cameron Campbell, a professor of demographic history and social mobility at the University of Hong Kong, called it "silly" in tweets highlighted by Le Point on February 3, 2020.
Campbell noted that seasonal flu has never overwhelmed healthcare systems. The novel coronavirus, however, proved extremely challenging to contain. In Hubei province, particularly Wuhan—the outbreak's epicenter—hospitals were overrun. Shockingly, many doctors treating patients became infected and required hospitalization themselves, often critically ill. Equating a predictable seasonal illness like flu with an emerging pandemic ignores these realities and risks downplaying the threat.
China's drastic response underscores the severity: city-wide quarantines, transport shutdowns, and mandatory temperature checks at airports and public venues. Ultimately, it's premature to tally final impacts—the outbreak was still unfolding.
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