on site to answer questions from people arriving at a testing
center in Los Angeles, California on December 16, 2020. – The
situation has grown severe across southern parts of California,
which was praised for its response at the start of the pandemic in
spring, but which has seen Covid-related hospital admissions soar
sixfold since mid-October. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN /
AFP)
Roughly a year into the pandemic it is clear the new
coronavirus is worse than seasonal flu, and a study released on
Friday outlined just how much worse, showing a death rate almost
three times higher among COVID-19 patients.
The research, using French national data and published in the
journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, underscored the increased
severity of illness for people with COVID-19.
Researchers compared data for 89,530 patients hospitalised with
COVID-19 in March and April this year with 45,819 patients
hospitalised with seasonal influenza between December 2018 and the
end of February 2019.
Some 16.9 percent of Covid-19 patients died during the period of
study — which was during a devastating first wave across Europe
when doctors had few therapies to turn to for severely ill
people.
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This compares to a death rate of 5.8 percent among those with
influenza.
Catherine Quantin, a professor at the University Hospital of
Dijon and the French national health institute INSERM who jointly
led the study, said the difference in death rates was “particularly
striking” given the 2018/19 flu season was the deadliest France had
seen in five years.
The authors note that the difference in the number of
hospitalisations — which saw twice as many people admitted for
COVID-19 than flu — may be partly explained by existing immunity to
influenza, either because of previous infection or vaccination.
Researchers found that more patients with COVID-19 needed
intensive care — 16.3 percent compared with 10.8 percent for
influenza — while the average stay in ICU was nearly twice as long
(15 days compared to 8 days).
The study also reported far fewer children under 18 hospitalised
with Covid-19 than with flu — 1.4 percent compared to 19.5
percent.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/12/18/coronavirus-nearly-three-times-more-deadly-than-flu-study/