[drusepth]

According to the CDC, "between 291,000 and 646,000 people worldwide die from seasonal influenza-related respiratory illnesses each year" [1].

This is likely exacerbated by many countries not having ready access to flu vaccines and/or proper hospitalization for those that need it.

Compare this to America-specific numbers, where 34,000,000 – 49,000,000 Americans catch a flu-related illness each year, yet only 20,000 – 52,000 result in death [2].

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1213-flu-death-esti...

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-e...

[tigershark]

Yes, so with the same numbers that catch covid it would be 2-5 millions US deaths.

[mcguire]

A 10% death rate?

[tigershark]

4%

[mcguire]

"Yes, so with the same numbers that catch covid it would be 2-5 millions US deaths."

So, 1.3-1.9 million US deaths.

[ascii_only]

I misread parent comment but this was exactly my point. A lot of people die from flu although there is vaccine and mortality rate is at least one magnitude lower than Covid-19 and hospitals are not overwhelmed.

[vonmoltke]

I don't follow. Per the CDC link, seasonal flu hospitalizations result from 1.0% to 1.5% of flu infections. COVID-19 is currently at about 20%. That's a significantly higher hospital load for COVID-18 than for seasonal flu.

[ascii_only]

With season flu hospitals are not overwhelmed but with covid-19 they probably will be so even more people will die.