How Does This Year's Coronavirus
Compare with the Flu?
Concise Answers for You on the Coronavirus

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Podiatrists and all other doctors are going to be asked this question by patients, family members and friends more and more as the next few weeks progress: How does this year's Coronavirus compare with the Flu?

As an aid to understanding the difference, we have prepared this concise guide in table format.

Comparison of Coronavirus vs the Flu
	Flu	Coronavirus
Names	Flu, Influenza	Coronavirus, COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, SARS-2, SARS-CoV-2
Transmission	Airborne, respiratory – sneezing, coughing and talking	Airborne, respiratory, sneezing, coughing and talking. Particles may remain airborne longer
Symptoms and Severity	Fever, cough, body aches, fatigue – sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Can be mild, severe or fatal. Can lead to secondary pneumonia.	Fever, cough, body aches, fatigue – sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Can be mild, severe or fatal. Can lead to secondary pneumonia. Largest study to date in China, based on 44,672 cases between Dec 31, 2009 and Feb 11, 2020, 81% considered Mild, 14% were Severe, and 5% Critical (respiratory failure, septic shock, organ failure)1
Incubation Period	1-4 Days	2-14 Days
Incidence	1 billion cases worldwide/yr 9-45 million cases in US/yr 2019 Flu season in US – 26 million illnesses, 250,000 hospitalizations (about 1%).	~80,000 cases reported worldwide, 60 in US, as of Feb 27, 2020, accelerating
Death	14,000 deaths (0.05%) Average 12,000-61,000 deaths in U.S./yr 291,000-646,000 deaths worldwide. Overall, per the U.S. CDC, the death rate of those who have been infected with the flu this flu season is 0.05%.	2,810 deaths worldwide, ~2,000 this year In Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, the death rate reached 2.9%; in other provinces of China, that rate was just 0.4%. Death rate varied by age:    <80   14.8% 70-89     8% 60-69  3.6% 50-59  1.3% 40-49  0.4% 10-39  0.2%        >9   0 According to the research conducted by the Chinese CDC, the case-fatality rate of novel coronavirus in China is 2.3%, making the risk of dying from Corronavirus ~40 times that of this year's flu. Remember, though, that the figures from the Chinese CDC include rural areas where the healthcare system has been overwhelmed.
Prevention	In general, the CDC recommends the following to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which include both coronaviruses and flu viruses: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands; avoid close contact with people who are sick; stay home when you are sick; and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.	same

In a small study of about 100 people with the COVID-19 virus, published Jan. 30 in the journal The Lancet, the most common symptoms were fever, cough and shortness of breath. Only about 5% of patients in that study reported sore throat and runny nose, and only 1-2% reported diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

The CDC estimates that, on average, about 8% of the U.S. population gets sick with the flu each season.

Issue that are being studied but as yet, there is no conclusive answer:

1. Are patients that have been infected but are still in the incubation period contagious?
2. Is the Coronavirus truly transmitted via the airborne route (remains in the air, breathed in) or is transmission occurring from contact with surfaces (touch doorknob, touch mouth or nose)?
3. Exactly how much more virulent is Corononavirus compared with the flu?