People also underestimate the danger of the flu. The flu kills people every year, and that's the mild, endemic one. Only reason it doesn't kill more is that we vaccinate at risk groups and people at high risk of spreading it. People sometimes call other things the flu, but if you get the real thing you know it.

We've avoided several major flu outbreaks because we look for them and take the threat seriously, and frankly, got lucky.

Influenza in the USA does 2x 9/11s a year.

[–] TheModerateTankie@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

In Australia last year covid killed 4x as many people as the flu. It's probably similar in other countries but most, like the US, stopped bothering with testing.

In terms of risk, it's now similar to the flu on an individual level, but way way more contagious. On average most people get a flu every 3-5 years, or something like that. While you can get covid 1-3 times a year, depending on how mutations play out.

And now it's being treated like it's a common cold.