Coronavirus vs. flu: Which is riskier and more dangerous now?

In 2020, when COVID-19 first affected us, there was a lot of unpredictability and confusion in the air. People were scared, unaware of how the virus would take a toll on our health and our lives.

During the second coronavirus wave, the delta variant claimed several lives and left a large population in distress. Even with mass vaccination, breakthrough infections were common and still remains a great cause of concern.

However, over time, the SARs-CoV-2 virus has evolved. New emerging variants like the Omicron are causing less severe infections and more manageable symptoms. With milder illnesses, flu-like symptoms have become prevalent, which has made it more difficult to tell COVID apart from the flu, which is why one of the most frequently asked questions in recent times is whether COVID still remains more risky or has become similar to or less dangerous than the flu - something even the experts have started to debate over.

Also read: Coronavirus: Chickenpox-like rash and other less talked about troubling symptoms

Both COVID-19 and the flu are contagious respiratory illnesses that may differ in their degree of risks. While the former is caused by infection with a coronavirus first identified in 2019, the latter caused by infection with a flu virus (influenza viruses), explains the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Also read: Top 6 most reported symptoms of COVID during Omicron wave

Irrespective of how similar COVID-19 and the flu are in terms of how they spread, COVID is said to spread more easily than the flu. Moreover, the former is likely to cause more serious illnesses in some people and people can take more time to show symptoms and recover from it.

As of now it is evident that symptoms alone cannot help differentiate between COVID and the flu. New variants like the Omicron are said to cause mild flu-like symptoms like a sore throat, runny nose and fatigue that can make it more challenging to differentiate between the two illnesses. In such a case, testing yourself for COVID is the best way to confirm your diagnosis.

Now that we're dealing with a milder version of COVID-19 and many have received their vaccination doses, some experts do believe that the worst is over and are comparing the deadly virus to the flu.

"We have all been questioning, 'When does COVID look like influenza?''' says Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. "And, I would say, 'Yes, we are there,'" she told NPR.

Adding to the statement, she says, “So unless a more virulent variant emerges, COVID’s menace has diminished considerably for most people, which means that they can go about their daily lives... in a way that you used to live with endemic seasonal flu.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's medical adviser, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, however disagrees with this idea of considering COVID a less risky or less dangerous respiratory illness than the flu.

"I'm sorry — I just disagree," he says.

"The severity of one compared to the other is really quite stark. And the potential to kill of one versus the other is really quite stark."

Many like Fauci say that COVID-19 is still killing hundreds of people daily. Over 125,000 additional COVID deaths could occur over the next 12 months if deaths continue at that pace, Fauci highlights.

As compared to flu, which kills about 50,000 people during a bad season, COVID-19 is said to have already killed more than 1 million Americans and was the third leading cause of death in 2021.

While anyone and everyone can catch COVID-19, those who are 60 years and above, immunocompromised and suffering from pre-existing chronic conditions should continue taking all the measures against the virus. Severe infections are still possible and people who are vulnerable continue to be at risk of developing serious infections.

Besides vaccination and gaining natural immunity, wearing your face masks, maintaining social distance and following proper hand hygiene remain to be some of the best protective measures not just against COVID-19, but also against the influenza virus. Remember! Vigilance and prevention is always better than cure.