Misleading comparisons

Car accidents and the seasonal flu differs significantly from COVID-19 that comparing the deaths from them is dangerously misleading. The two key differences are the time span during which they impact our healthcare system, and the second is how contagious they are.

First, car accidents happen throughout the year. Sure some long weekends increase car accidents and inclement weather increases the number, but generally it is below the capacity of our healthcare system. It is obvious, but must be stated in this comparison. Injuries from car accidents are not contagious.

Second, seasonal flu tends to start around September ramp up and peak around Dec-Feb then decrease. Thus hospitalization for the flu is spread over several months, and thus are below the healthcare capacity. Most, if not all, healthcare workers are vaccinated from the flu, and many people are naturally somewhat immune because of exposure from previous years. Combination of these makes the flu less contagious.

Coronavirus, on the other hand, is ramping up rapidly. Imagine if all the car accidents happened in a few weeks or seasonal flu ramped up in a few weeks! Our healthcare system would be overwhelmed. Further, we do not have a vaccine nor does anyone have natural immunity because it is new.

Thus comparing deaths from car accidents and the seasonal flu to the coronavirus pandemic is dangerously misleading.

Charlotte Omoto,

Palouse