Why living with Covid would not be the same as flu

[Northerner]

As England prepares to ease coronavirus restrictions further, the messaging from ministers has changed. We have reached, it seems, a tipping point in the pandemic where rules will be replaced by personal decisions. The mantra now is about living with coronavirus, much as we do with seasonal flu.

The pandemic has invited countless comparisons between coronavirus and influenza and the diseases do have some features in common. Both are contagious, potentially lethal respiratory viruses. They can spread through aerosols, droplets and contaminated surfaces. And they share some of the same symptoms in the form of fever, cough, headaches and fatigue. In the winter ahead, one challenge the NHS faces is separating the Covid patients from the flu cases.

But there are striking differences between coronavirus and flu that matter for public health. Coronavirus spreads faster than influenza and can cause far more serious illness. The symptoms of coronavirus can take longer to show, and people tend to be contagious for longer, making them more prone to passing it on.

Why living with Covid would not be the same as flu

Analysis: coronavirus is more infectious and more lethal than influenza, and we lack the same global protection mechanism

www.theguardian.com

 

[mikeyB]

Well, you can’t eliminate it from the face of the Earth, so we have no choice but to live with it. It’s just a choice of what level of vaccination you want before you ease restrictions.

Travel will be an ongoing problem for a while longer, but why should I, fully vaccinated, lock myself up or wear a mask, or not go out for a meal? And why do I need a vaccine passport? I thought it was just communist countries and dictatorships when you had to show papers just to get around.

 

[nonethewiser]

Likely still wear mask in heavily congested public spaces, public transport being one, even being double vaccinate still dont want to catch it or pass it on to others.

Hope shops keep hand gels at entrance, will help stop other illnesses.