The (once again) limping comparison of Corona and influenza

Two common sharepics compare COVID-19 to influenza.

In the two sharepics, the numbers of influenza cases in recent years are compared with the numbers of corona cases. However, such a comparison is not particularly useful.

These sharepics are:

The following numbers and claims are on the Sharepics:

Influenza 2017 / 2018:
400,000 sick, 2,800 deaths - intact economy Influenza 2018 / 2019:
150,000 sick, 1,400 deaths - intact economy Corona 2020: 750,000 tests, 19,612 positive, 711 deaths - the economy is being driven to the wall, 1 million unemployed or in short-time work.

“ Everyone should think about it for themselves ” is demanded in one of the sharepics.
All right, then let's do it.

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The influenza and corona numbers

As already noted in one of the posts, but not in the sharepics, the numbers refer purely to Austria. These are also correct rounded up:

The numbers of corona cases are out of date, the current status (September 30th) is:

Sharepic : 750,000 tests
Current : 1,617,987 tests

Sharepic : 19,612 Positive
Current : 45,400 Positive

Sharepic : 711 deaths
Current : 799 deaths

The creation of numbers

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety writes about the influenza numbers:

“Because influenza is often not recognized or recorded as a cause of death, it is international standard that influenza-related deaths are estimated through modeling .”

So these are not correct figures, but estimated figures; the actual mortality rate may be higher or lower.

However, COVID-19 cases are not estimated, but are recorded and reported precisely by the health authorities.

But why aren't there such measures for the flu?

If you look at the raw numbers, you could actually start to ponder: Why haven't measures like today been implemented against the flu?
Well, why?

Everyone can and should get a flu vaccination once a year. Unfortunately, viruses often do not always play a role in the predicted flu wave; sometimes a flu variant spreads that scientists did not expect.

This then means that there can be many deaths from flu, even though you have been vaccinated - but unfortunately not against the variant that is actually rampant. In contrast to coronaviruses, influenza viruses are very mutate-friendly.

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Conclusion

Asian countries have been doing this for countless years:
Anyone who has a cold voluntarily (!) wears a mouth and nose protection. This is a matter of politeness so as not to infect others.

There are vaccinations against flu. Unfortunately, these do not always work, but are still the best method to prevent high rates of illness and death (apart from the Asian method).

However, there is no vaccination against COVID-19; so far only the symptoms can be treated.

As early as April, the death numbers from Corona were compared with the numbers from other diseases ( we reported ) in order to trivialize COVID-19 - a comparison that has now rapidly been overtaken by time.

Comparing the numbers therefore doesn't make much sense - and in the worst case scenario, the timeliness of those sharepics will also become outdated over time.

Additional source: Correctiv