TYLER, Texas — Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people have tried to compare it to the flu. Some say it is worse, but skeptics say the seasonal flu is worse.
To verify whether COVID-19 is worse than influenza, CBS19 spoke with Dr. Scott Smith, a primary care physician with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic.
Dr. Smith said there are obvious similarities between the flu and coronavirus. They are both respiratory infections and have some of the same symptoms.
“Patients experience cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, sore throat,” Smith said. “However, there are some really important key differences. Influenza, those symptoms hit abruptly in sudden onset, and we have not heard of them that much with COVID. Additionally, COVID symptoms include the unusual symptoms of loss of smell or taste.”
One way in which they are different is the number of people they kill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 61,099 Americans died of flu in the 2017-18 season, and 34,200 died during the 2018-19 flu season, the last two years for which data is available. As of Thursday, it estimated 121,809 Americans have died of COVID-19. That was in fewer than five months, whereas the flu numbers are for an entire year.
“I actually was one of those who hoped we would see the rates actually decline in the summer months like we do with influenza,” Dr. Smith mentioned, “but that’s not been the case.”
In Texas, the Department of State Health Services reported that 8,377 deaths are linked to the flu during the 2019-20 season. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 2,296, but only three months have passed since the first Texan died of COVID-19 and the spread of the virus has increased in the last few weeks.
“Just this week,” Dr, Smith stated, “our rates of positive tests of patients we’re testing are up to 15 percent. During March and April, when it was just coming and we were learning more about it, our positive rates were around 5-6 percent.”
When it comes to the treatment of the infections, there are drugs for flu that lessen the symptoms and clear them faster. No medicine has been proven for coronavirus yet.
“Any good hand hygiene, masks, wearing masks when you’re out in public, social distancing, these things are helpful to reduce the risk of spread of any respiratory virus,” Dr. Smith said, “both flu and COVID.”
There is not a vaccine for COVID-19 yet, either. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified to Congress earlier in the week that he is cautiously optimistic one will be ready by the beginning of 2021.
However, Dr. Smith said there is no guarantee that the vaccine, or antibodies in patients who have recovered, will last.
“How long will it last us? Will it last us a few months? Will it last us through the next season?” Dr. Smith asked. “We don’t know that information yet, and so, there’s just still so much we wish we knew but we can’t say for sure.”
Dr. Smith said COVID-19 spreads from person to person faster than flu does, and the symptoms both last longer and are more severe.
“They’re being hospitalized more and they’re staying in the intensive care unit longer, as well,” Dr. Smith explained. “The average duration of a patient in the ICU is about three weeks, and that’s much longer than the typical patient with influenza.”
After adding up the death numbers and the intensity of the symptoms, Dr. Smith said he has no doubt which is worse.
“We don’t see hospitals overrun with influenza in New York, Italy, other places where the disease spread has been so severe,” Dr, Smith claimed. “So, even that, just from casual experience and observational experience, excuse me, has told us that this disease is definitely worse than the flu.
“COVID is on the rise in our state. It’s on the rise in Northeast Texas. It does concern me when I’m out and about wearing a mask and I see four other people who are not wearing a mask. And as a clinician, a doctor caring for patients, caring for the community, I would encourage everyone to, please, go ahead and put on that mask. It’s not that difficult. And, you know, if it helps reduce the risk of spread for yourself, for your loved ones, for the elderly people in our community, please do so. Be a kind citizen and mask up.”
If you have a claim or question you would like verified, send an email to dlippman@cbs19.tv.