COVID-19 Killed The Same Number of Americans As Spanish Flu

It’s official: COVID-19 already killed as many Americans as the 1918 Spanish flu. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still raging on. Any time now, coronavirus will officially grab the title of killing more Americans. 

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COVID-19 Has Same Mortality Rate As the Spanish Flu

Approximately 675,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since last year. This is the same number of people who died at hands of an earlier pandemic, the 1918-1919 Spanish flu.

As the US population was only a third of what it is today, it meant that the Spanish flu remains the deadlier deadly medical issue between the two. However, COVID-19 presents unique challenges of its own.

Given the scientific knowledge about the virus, plus the availability of vaccines, COVID-19 remains a tragic outbreak that should've killed fewer Americans than it did.  

Medical historian Dr. Howard Markel of the University of Michigan rued that many Americans still refuse to vaccinate. “Big pockets of American society — and, worse, their leaders — have thrown this away,” he said. 

Like the Spanish Flu, COVID-19 Might Never Go Away

Similar to the virus outbreak more than 100 years ago, COVID-19 might never go away. 

Scientists hopefully look forward to a time when the virus will turn into a seasonal bug. They also hope that human immunity builds up against COVID-19 through vaccinations and repeated episodes of infection.

“We hope it will be like getting a cold, but there’s no guarantee,” said Emory University biologist Rustom Antia. He suggested an optimistic scenario of COVID-19 turning into the common cold. This could happen over a few years.

At present, however, coronavirus remains a fearsome virus that preys on the weak and the unvaccinated. Even as scientists say that delta infections have already peaked, the US is still recording around 1,900 deaths a day.

This is the highest level of daily deaths since March, which was back when vaccines were unavailable. As a result, the country’s overall death rate is now 674,000. It’s still counting. In addition, many experts believe the real number is much higher. 

Brace For A New Surge This Winter

Health experts are now fearing that the approaching winter will bring about new surges. In fact, the University of Washington's influential model projects an additional 100,000 Americans will die of COVID by January 1. This will bring the overall death toll to 776,000, greatly exceeding the Spanish flu record. 

The Spanish flu’s 675,000 death count is the official number given out by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many believe the number is a rough estimate, given the incomplete records.

Poor scientific understanding of the illness also muddled the figures. This means the actual count could be much higher than the official count. 

 Spanish Flu Killed 50 Million Worldwide, COVID-19 4.6 Million 

In addition, the influenza pandemic killed 50 million humans globally. Considering that the world’s population is only 25% of what it is today, the number is very frightening. In contrast, COVID deaths worldwide are currently at around 4.6 million.

Scientists hope that the virus will soon weaken, which can lead to reduced infections. Only through vaccination and surviving an earlier bout will improve a person’s immune system against COVID-19. Also, breastfed infants can gain some immunity from their mothers.

Watch the 12NewsNow video reporting that COVID-19 death toll surpasses estimated death toll of 1918 Spanish flu pandemic:

Do you believe that the COVID-19 is far more deadly than the Spanish flu? Or, do you think that the Spanish flu is way more severe than COVID-19?

Let us know what you think about the global pandemic and their record deaths. Share your comments below.