COVID vs. the Flu: Not the Same

On March 9, President Trump tweeted: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”

The comparison to the flu was foolish even then. On March 9, Italy became the first western country to impose a national lockdown as its hospitals in Lombardy were being overrun with COVID patients. The leaders of Communist China, a regime not known for caring much about human life, had already deemed it necessary to shut down much of the country in order to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

About the Author

John McCormack

John McCormack is a former Washington correspondent for National Review and was a fellow at the National Review Institute.

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On March 9, President Trump tweeted: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”

The comparison to the flu was foolish even then. On March 9, Italy became the first western country to impose a national lockdown as its hospitals in Lombardy were being overrun with COVID patients. The leaders of Communist China, a regime not known for caring much about human life, had already deemed it necessary to shut down much of the country in order to stop the spread of the deadly virus.