February 9, 2020: Yes, seasonal influenza has already killed 10,000 people in America and caused 180,000 hospitalizations, which is exactly why Americans should be worried about the 2019-nCoV (coronavirus) epidemic currently ravaging China. Here are 5 reasons why people should stop hiding behind the plastic-thin veneer of the influenza-is-more-worrisome- than-the-coronavirus argument: The morality rate of the seasonal influenza is about .05%, while the mortality rate for the coronavirus is currently running at about 2%. 1) If Americans are so indifferent that they don’t get vaccinated for something that has a .05% mortality rate, why would they even bother to implement preventative measures to stave off something far worse. According to the CDC, “With overall coverage at 46.8% last season, many people in America did not receive a flu shot, despite the recommendations from medical and public health experts.” 2). Americans, by large, pass on flu vaccinations annually, so they are even less likely to wear face masks in public. As a matter of fact, the CDC has advised Americans against wearing masks. 3). There are vaccinations for the seasonal influenza – there is currently no vaccination or effective treatment for the 2019-nCoV virus. 4) If the U.S. healthcare system is already taxed by seasonal influenza outbreaks, it might be fairly safe to say that the additional burden of an infectious coronavirus outbreak would break the back of the American healthcare system. There is already a global shortage of face masks and other PPE healthcare supplies. According to Healthcare Dive: “The HHS estimates that an infectious disease pandemic could infect 90 million Americans and kill as many as 1.9 million people. This kind of pandemic would put a strain on the country’s healthcare system, sicken hospital staff and stretch hospital resources to their limits and beyond.” 5). The U.S. is already running massive budget deficits and is printing money just to keep many financial institutions afloat, so how would U.S. possibly finance an epidemic outbreak on the scale of like what’s affecting China? According to a July 2018 article in The Atlantic, “A severe 1918-style flu pandemic would drain an estimated $683 billion from American coffers, according to the nonprofit Trust for America’s Health.”
10,000 people line up to buy face masks in Hong Kong
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