Covid-19 is NOT Influenza
This is the second article on Medium for 2022. So today I’ll be discussing one of the most common anti-vax and pseudoscientific false claims that these carrot pushers believe in. Is that SARS-CoV-2 aka Covid-19 is just repackaged as the Flu, which it’s not but I’ll go into great detail about why. So without further ado, here’s the article and please share this everywhere to refute this silly claim.
➡ Study comparing Flu and Covid-19 pandemics
This study compares SAR-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV and Influenza pandemics and even from this, we can see from this peer-reviewed study that Covid-19 is vastly different to Influenza. (Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30484-9/fulltext)
➡ Comparative review of viruses
One study from the FrontierSin science journal does a comparative review of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and Influenza A Respiratory Viruses. Further evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is also different ti other respiratory viruses, this is one very good peer-reviewed study. This study goes into great detail about the taxonomy, structure and genomic properties of each of the viruses. (Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.552909/full)
➡ Flu vs Covid-19 deaths (1 year period)
COVID-19: There have been approximately 1,571,890 deaths reported worldwide (1 year period). In the U.S, 289,450 people have died of COVID-19 between January 2020 and December 10, 2020.*
Flu: The World Health Organization estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide. (Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu)
More accurately the global mortality for Influenza pandemics could be 389k annually (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6815659/)
As we can see from the death rate, within 1 year 1.5million deaths have been attributed to SARS-CoV-2 with 389k annually from Influenza and with all the health prevention measures in place now, this number could be drastically lower as well as the prevention measures have been installed for near 2 years.
➡ Comparison of R0 Numbers (Flu vs Covid-19)
For layman’s terms, R0 is a basic reproduction number. If the R0 was 3 for example, for every one person infected, we would see 3 secondary cases. (Source: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/research-methods/1a-epidemiology/epidemic-theory)
R0 for Delta is 5–8
R0 for Influenza is 1.3
So for every 1 person sick with Delta, we would see 5–8 additional cases
So for every 1 person sick with Influenza, we would see 1.3 additional cases.
As you can see from this as well, Delta is more transmissible and more lethal in terms of its R0 number when compared.
➡ Virus Families
Both of these two viruses have to very different families which is another reason why SARS-CoV-2 cannot be the same virus.
Influenza viruses like A, B and C belong to the virus family called Orthomyxoviruses. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8611/).
Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 belong to the virus family called Coronaviridae. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7149805/)
➡ Conclusion
There’s too much evidence on this article alone to fully debunk this false claim, so once and for all we all can put this to strawman to bed, that Influenza is NOT SARS-CoV-2 or repackaged. After you’ve read this and you still think Covid-19 is just a cold or influenza give your head a good wobble for the sake of humanity so we can stop having more Darwin Awards.
💥 Thanks for reading, Lawrence. Please consider a small contribution, in the form of a beer as all articles are created in my small amount of spare time: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LawrenceRob