These are the reasons COVID-19 is much, much more serious than
the Flu :
Rates of transmission of Flu is 1:1.3 persons, compared with
COVID-19 of 1:2.5 , so almost double the rate
of spread of Flu , partially explaining the exponential rise in
numbers of infected Corona patients.
Rates for hospitalization from Flu is 1% to 2% , that for
COVID-19 is 20% , so approx. tenfold the number
of hospital beds needed.
Length of hospitalization for Flu is 5-6 days, whereas for
COVID-19 varying from 11-20 days , three times
that for Flu. Consequently the turnover of bed occupation for
COVID-19 is much lower than Flu, straining the
existing bed capacity of hospitals, especially during peak demand
like this pandemic.
Compared to Flu patients, treatment of COVID-19 patients is more
demanding, with one patient often requiring
2 to 3 medical staff members, fully suited-up in protective
gear, diminishing their capacity to work efficiently.
Altogether, this puts a tremendous strain on hospitals and staff
members, where in NYC scenes reminiscent of
Wuhan, Italy and Spain are starting to emerge.
