Is COVID-19 worse than the flu?
Yes, COVID-19 is worse.
This is not to downplay influenza, a serious illness that infects countless people each year and kills tens of thousands. But it does not overwhelm hospitals.
The novel coronavirus is sending nearly 20% of all known cases to hospitals (even higher in Louisiana, near 30%). The flu puts about 2% of patients in hospital beds. That's a monumental difference in terms of health care, and the ripple effect across the U.S. and the world is evident.
There are other reasons, too, including the fatality rate. Here, a visual list of charts, diagrams and stats comparing the two viruses:
Incubation
Approximate number of days from initial exposure until first symptoms
The flu: 1-4 days • COVID-19: 1-14 days
Transmission
Estimated number of additional people that will be infected by a single person carrying the virus. (Also known as the R0 number, pronounced “R naught”)
The flu: 1.3 people • COVID-19: 2-2.5 people
The infected
Estimated percent of the population that will contract the virus in one season
The flu: 8.3%-20% • COVID-19: 25%-50%
Hospitalization
Average percent of known infected people needing hospital care
The flu: 2% • COVID-19: 19%
Length of stay
Average number of days a surviving patient will stay hospitalized
The flu: 5-6 days • COVID-19: 11 days
Fatality rate
Percent of deaths reported from known cases
The flu: 0.1% or less • COVID-19: 1-3.4%
Did you know?
A coronavirus describes any virus that has spike-shaped glycoprotein on the outside (like a corona, which is Latin for crown, or halo). SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2012 were both coronaviruses. COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by this new coronavirus.
Sources: CDC, WHO, NCBI, NPR; Inspired by a chart created by Christina Animashaun for Vox
