One of the most important questions continually being asked by those opposing the continued lockdowns in so many countries is whether or not the coronavirus is in reality much more dangerous than seasonal flu. One of the main reasons given is the higher death rate.
According to a report on Livescience.com, “The death rate from seasonal flu is typically around 0.1%.”
In May, when the report was published, it noted, “Researchers from Columbia University recently estimated the fatality rate from COVID-19 at 0.06 percent, or six times greater than seasonal flu.”
As some medical experts have been claiming for months, the COVID-19 death rate is significantly lower than reported because of the high level of underreported cases.
Now we have key information Dr. Michael Ryan, Head of Emergencies at the WHO, who stated on 5 October, “About 10% of the global population may have been infected by the coronavirus.”
Using this updated data from the WHO, the website offguardian.org published an article on 8 October: “W.H.O. (Accidently) Confirms COVID is No More Dangerous Than Flu.” The article states,
“The global population is roughly 7.8 billion people, if 10% have been infected that is 780 million cases. The global death toll currently attributed to Sars-Cov-2 infections is 1,061,539. That’s an infection fatality rate of roughly or 0.14%. Right in line with seasonal flu and the predictions of many experts from all around the world.”
The article also notes that a fatality rate of 0.14 percent for COVID-19 “is over 24 times LOWER than the WHO’s ‘provisional figure’ of 3.4% back in March. This figure was used in the models which were used to justify lockdowns and other draconian policies.”
TRENDPOST: While the mainstream media continues to use the higher infection rate of COVID as a reason to support lockdowns, they leave out the fact that this means the actual death rate of COVID-19 is significantly less threatening than reported and more in line with seasonal flu.
As for the fact that the virus is much more contagious than seasonal flu, as reported in the 13 October Trends Journal, The Great Barrington Declaration, signed by over 10,000 scientists, doctors, and public health officials, pointed to a strategy of “Focused Protection.” This calls for putting in more safety measures for those at greatest risk – the elderly with pre-existing health problems – while minimalizing the enormous harm being inflicted on hundreds of millions of people by the extensive lockdowns.
As The Great Barrington Declaration makes clear, “Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone.” This is supported by the letter signed by hundreds of Belgian physicians and scientists coming to the same conclusion. (See our article in this issue, “MEDICAL EXPERTS: ‘REVERSE THE LOCKDOWN’”.)
More Misinformation
Last May, a Stanford University study contradicted the estimates for COVID-19 death rates from Dr. Anthony Fauci, who on 11 March stated in congressional testimony, “People always say the flu does this, the flu does that. The flu has a mortality of 0.1%. This has a mortality 10 times that. That’s the reason I want to emphasize we have to stay ahead of the game of preventing this.”
The Stanford University study, as reported by the Trends Journal at the time, was led by Dr. John Ioannides, a distinguished Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Population Health. He claimed in May the death rate from COVID-19 would be well under 1 percent. He wrote: “While COVID-19 is a formidable threat, the fact that its IFR (infection fatality rate) is much lower than originally feared, is a welcome piece of evidence.” He added, “At a very broad, bird’s eye view level, worldwide the IFR of COVID-19 this season may be in the same ballpark as the IFR of influenza.”
Updating the True Picture
On 6 October, the CDC published an article to answer the question, “What is difference between Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19?” They state, “COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer.”
TRENDPOST: The new estimates from the WHO (cited above) that some 10 percent of the world’s population has been infected with COVID-19 confirms what legitimate medical studies, such as the Stanford University report from May, reveal: the high rates of death from COVID-19 predicted by government leaders and their public health officials, used to justify the global shutdown, are now being proven to be dramatically inflated.
The actual fatality rate from COVID-19 is looking more and more likely to end up in the same percentage range of seasonal flu. As far as the news that COVID is far more contagious than flu and, as the CDC stated, “causes more serious illnesses in some people,” we’ve known for many months who these “some people” are: the elderly with serious pre-existing health issues, the clinically obese and significantly overweight, those with type 2 diabetes, and those with chronic health or lung issues.
Thus, they can be better protected while the vast majority of people not vulnerable to the virus can get their freedoms back.
