I’m a medical provider:Why we should be concerned about COVID-19

I’m a healthcare provider (PA) and am concerned by the amount of people down playing the seriousness of this virus.

The flu has a mortality rate of about 0.1% vs coronavirus 2-3.4% (CDC and WHO). That mean the coronavirus is 20-34X deadlier than the flu.
-Last flu season 61,000 americans died from the flu.
-if you extrapolate that number for increases deaths for coronavirus for lower to higher death rate estimates: 1.2 million(2%mortality rate) to 2.07 million deaths (3.4% mortality rate)
-The coronavirus has no vaccine and is MUCH MORE INFECTIOUS.
-A significant amount of our population is vaccinated against the flu which protects the populations as a whole. And we have antiviral therapies that reduce severity of influenza such as tamiflu and xofluza.
-With no vaccine, antivirals, and being much more infectious than the flu, the coronavirus could easily kill more than 2 million people.

EDIT**: Young and healthy people have a very low chance of dying (less than 1%) while people 70+ 8-10% chance, and 80+ is a 14.8% according to CDC and WHO.

-Diabetics have a 7% mortality rate and several other chronic conditions such as hypertension, copd etc have elevated death rates.

Ochsner main campus, westbank, and kenner campuses already have areas of units dedicated to people who are currently infected with coronavirus. The official test can take 3-5 days for be able to get absolute confirmation if the virus. Colleagues of mine work on those units treating covid-19 patients. We will hear results and increases in cases soon.

The test is not widely available so most people who get sick wont even get tested or often can have mild symptoms but pass it to others who have a severe response.

Infectious disease experts are predicting 40-60% of population will be infected and the pandemic will last 3-6 months or more

If you are young and healthy but get sick the biggest risk is passing it to elderly.

-One of the inpatient units I work on is a geriatric unit with people 60+ with many 85+, my patients will be in deep trouble if they contract coronavirus and likely > 1in10 wont survive.

Hopefully this helps clear up some of the bullshite that ignorant people with no healthcare knowledge or experience are spreading about how there is nothing to worry about.