Experts Warn Covid-19 NOT Comparable To The Flu
From the beginning, we’ve heard various comparisons between Covid-19 and the flu. While there are vast differences between the two viruses, it is apparent that we will now have to get used to “living with the coronavirus,” much like we do the seasonal flu. But, according to an article in The Guardian, that’s where the comparisons should stop.
Both are infectious, potentially lethal respiratory viruses, but because Covid-19 spreads faster than influenza and can cause far more serious illness it is a huge public health concern. To illustrate, the newspaper cited the fact that the number of people in England who died from Covid during the first nine weeks of 2021 equaled that of the number of people who died from seasonal influenza during three flu seasons from 2015-2018.
While Covid-19 is much more contagious and deadly than the flu, the vaccines are great at “preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death” according to CNN. The covid vaccines available in the United States have been proven effective, even against the new Delta variant. Health officials say 97% of the people who are hospitalized or die from coronavirus are unvaccinated. The bottom line is, just like a seasonal flu shot, it’s important that everyone get the Covid vaccine. The virus may never fully go away, but you can protect yourself because the vaccine is “highly effective in preventing symptomatic, clinically apparent disease,” according to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The Seniors Trust is committed to improving the lives of seniors by working to improve Social Security and drawing attention to important information about COVID-19 vaccines. It wants to see Congress pass the Social Security Expansion Act. This landmark piece of legislation will provide bigger monthly Social Security benefits, establish a more realistic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for seniors, and guarantee the long-term solvency of the Social Security program.
