COVID-19 is Ten Times More Deadly Than H1N1
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The Claim
COVID-19 has infected fewer people than H1N1 virus, but “media hysteria” has prompted an overblown response.
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Emerging story
Social media users circulated news that COVID-19 has infected fewer people than the H1N1 virus, but “media hysteria” has prompted an overblown response.
Users published different memes of Barak Obama and Donald Trump comparing between H1N1 and COVID-19 listing the number of cases.
Users also claimed that only 56 million more cases of COVID-19 to reach H1N1 swine flu figures in 2009.
Users also posted information and statistics about COVID-19 and H1N1 referring to CDC.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation finds the claim misleading. In April 2020, the World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the novel coronavirus is 10 times more deadly than swine flu.
“We know that Covid-19 spreads fast and we know that it is deadly – ten times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic. We know that the virus can spread more easily in crowded environments like nursing homes. We know that early case finding, testing, isolating, caring for every case, and tracing every contact is essential for stopping transmission.
“We know that in some countries cases are doubling every three to four days. However, while Covid-19 accelerates very fast it decelerates much more slowly.
“In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up. That means control measures must be lifted slowly and with control”.
According to WHO, 18,500 people died of "swine flu", or H1N1, which was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in March 2009, but the Lancet medical estimated the toll to be between 151,700 and 575,400.
While the focus remains on the spread of coronavirus through social distancing and other control measures, it must be remembered that the H1N1 virus that emerged in 2009 continues to circulate as a seasonal flu virus, causing illness, hospitalization, and deaths worldwide every year.
It is worth mentioning that COVID-19 cases are serious and need hospital treatment. There is also no vaccine against COVID-19.
