Comparing nCoronavirus numbers to the regular flu numbers is just idiotic

A lot of people seem to have this attitude about COVID-19: The common flu so far just in the US has hit 30M. Where is the panic over this number? There isn’t, because the flu is just a fact of life. We’ll get through this. Don’t panic. Get back to work.

But comparing nCov to the flu in that way makes no sense. Influenza is vastly more widespread for one thing, and the flu season has been going on for months longer than when nCov-19 burst on to the scene. You know what else doesn't kill as many people each years as the flu? Ebola. Ask yourself which one you'd prefer to be exposed to if you had to choose, influenza or ebola. By your logic it would be influenza because its killed more. But IF you get ebola its worse. The same appears to be true of nCov-19, the fatality rate is currently much higher. Now that is probably not the actual mortality rate, because we don't have a good idea on how widespread it is yet. But it would have to be VERY widespread to be as low as the flu.

Beyond that, we have decades of experience with treating influenza. We have vaccines that people can (and should) take each year for influenza. Sadly the world is imperfect and some people will get sick, and some people will die, but basing your analysis solely on the CURRENT death count makes no sense. By that logic we shouldn't respond to any disease until it reaches influenza levels. OR we could be proactive when presented with novel viruses and try to prevent unnecessary death and damage using reasonable efforts.

Its fine to discuss and debate what a reaonsable effort is, how long should we limit large gatherings, how soon will they start again, who should be tested first, etc. But those decisions and discussions should be based on actual facts from people who actually understand these types of situations. Not people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity who take numbers out of context and ignore the whole picture just to try and make a point.

nCov-19 is new, and there is ample reason to be concerned about it. Not panicked, but concerned. Until we know more and until there are better treatments and prevention methods (likely at least a year for the vaccine for example) then no, we should not treat this like the flu.