Why Covid-19 and the Flu are NOT the Same Thing

Lunch and Learn with Dr. Berry

So, let’s talk about why COVID-19 and the flu are NOT the same thing…

A couple of weeks ago, in our “Are COVID Cases Rising Again?” episode, we discussed the rise in COVID-19 cases amid the summertime surge.

Unfortunately, while it was well-received, a lot of the comments were very similar to what it was like in 2021 to 2022.

As cases rise again, some people still think that COVID-19 and the flu are the same thing.

But they are NOT, and a lot of numbers show that.

While they are both respiratory diseases with some similarities in transmission and symptoms, COVID-19 is significantly more contagious and deadly than the flu.

In a four-year stretch alone (2020-2024), more people have died from COVID-19 than the amount of people who have died from the flu since it first began (1800s-present).

So, join me in this episode as we discuss the similarities, but more importantly—the differences between the two. Together, let’s stop pressing on any discussion that tries to put COVID-19 in the same bucket as the flu.

Why you need to check this episode:

• Learn about the similarities, but more importantly, the differences between COVID-19 and the flu;
• Discover why people often think that COVID-19 and the flu are the same thing;
• Find out why COVID-19 is considered more severe than the flu, especially considering the contagiousness and duration of the disease; and
• Recognize the importance of educating oneself and not continuing to be uninformed when the information is just right here for you

“Is COVID-19 and the flu the same thing? Absolutely not. Are there some similarities? Yes. There are some similarities with how they’re transmitted; not the rate, but how they’re transmitted. There are some similarities with some of the symptoms you may develop when it first hits you. There are some similarities when we talk about some of the complications that can occur if you get COVID or flu. There are some similarities when we talk about how we prevent it. But after that, the detour occurs. The hospitalizations, the rate of transmissions, deaths, the types of viruses that cause it, some of the complications—the detour is there. Don’t let anyone tell you again that COVID-19 and the flu are the same thing and that we should act as if COVID-19 and the flu are the same thing.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Notable Quotes:

“COVID has always been more transmissible than the flu…This is the reason why you can have a million cases in one week with COVID; whereas on the flu, on a bad year, may average about half a million or a little bit above that for the whole year…You can get a million cases in one week with COVID [but] you’re not getting a million cases in one week with the flu; it just doesn’t happen. And why is that? The rate of transmission is almost 10-100x more in COVID than it is in the flu.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“The rate of deaths associated with COVID is 1% to 2%...[while] the flu can get—with the rate of contagion and everything else from a fatality perspective—0.1%... In fact, more people died from COVID in the three to four-year stretch that we started counting COVID than the amount of people who have died since the initiation of the flu.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

“When you hear people say COVID-19 and the flu are the same thing, they are not being truthful or they’re just not knowledgeable. It’s either or.” – Dr. Berry Pierre

Mentions:

• Are COVID Cases Rising Again?
• Noah Lyles Wins Bronze While Battling COVID-19

Sign up at www.listentodrberry.com to join the mailing list.

Remember to subscribe to the podcast and share the episode with a friend or family member.

Listen on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeartRadio, and Spotify