Covid and Flu Deaths
Though Covid infections are trending downwards, Covid deaths remain high compared to flu-related deaths.
Weekly surveillance data on influenza deaths and Covid deaths
For weeks ending Oct 7, 2017- Sep 3, 2022
Source: CDC. Notes: This weekly surveillance data is based on raw counts of influenza and Covid deaths collected from death certificate data from state vital statistics offices.
As the nation enters its third pandemic winter, Americans’ general attitude towards the pandemic has shifted, with many returning to pre-pandemic norms and utilizing fewer safety precautions like social distancing and masking.1 Though Covid case counts are trending downwards — with the caveat that many people using at-home tests are not reporting their results — Covid deaths were still high at roughly 400 daily in August and September 2022.2,3 In contrast, flu-related deaths averaged about 3 deaths per day in August 2022.4 At their peak, influenza deaths reached 232 per day (week 3 of 2018) while Covid deaths reached 3,710 per day (week 2 of 2021) — a 16-fold difference.5,6
Recent reports of an increase in Covid infections in Europe, coupled with one of the worst flu seasons in Australia, lead experts to believe that a rise in either or both of these viruses is a near certainty for the U.S.7,8 Medical professionals continue to urge Americans to get both the flu and Covid vaccine, and to stay up to date with booster shots. The newest booster shot, which offers protection against the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant, became available in September 2022.9 A recent study by the Commonwealth Fund predicts that if 80% of the eligible U.S. population receives their booster shot by the end of the year, about 90,000 lives could be saved, 936,000 hospitalizations could be prevented, and $56 million in direct medical costs could be averted.10
To date, only 68% of the nation is fully vaccinated, and just 38% have received their second booster.11 In states like Arkansas, where the vaccination rate is only 58%, vaccine hesitancy and “diminished perceived risks” are main deterrents but experts continue to share information and inform their communities of the protection and minimized risk offered through vaccination.12,13
“COVID-19 Survey Summary: October 14, 2022”. Societal Experts Action Network. https://www.langerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/SEAN-COVID-19-Survey-Summary_10-14-22.pdf
“Trends in Number of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in the US Reported to CDC, by State/Territory”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailydeaths_select_00
“Rise in at-home testing means we could be undercounting Covid-19 cases even more than before”. Christensen, Howard, and McPhillips. CNN Health. April, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/18/health/covid-at-home-testing-data/index.html
“Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality Surveillance from the National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Surveillance System”. CDC. https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/mortality.html
“Assessment of Deaths From COVID-19 and From Seasonal Influenza”. Faust, Rio. JAMA Network. May, 2020. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2766121
“Why COVID isn’t like the flu (yet) in one brutal graph”. Prater. Fortune Well. September, 2022. https://fortune.com/well/2022/09/27/why-covid-isnt-like-the-flu-death-toll-leading-cause-death-omicron-shot-booster-vaccine/
“A new COVID surge could hit the US soon following European wave”. Kee. Today. October, 2022. https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/europe-facing-new-covid-19-wave-us-probably-rcna51855
“Flu is expected to flare up in U.S. this winter, raising fears of a ‘twindemic’”. Stein. NPR. September, 2022. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/09/23/1124311571/flu-season-2022-covid-twindemic
“CDC Recommends the First Updated COVID-19 Booster”. CDC. September, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0901-covid-19-booster.html
“A Fall COVID-19 Booster Campaign Could Save Thousands of Lives, Billions of Dollars”. Fitzpatrick, Shah, Moghadas, Vilches, Pandey, and Galvani. The Commonwealth Fund. October, 2022. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/fall-covid-19-booster-campaign-could-save-thousands-lives-billions-dollars
“COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-additional-dose-totalpop
“The Arkansas Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccination Update”. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a/
“About 35,000 COVID-19 boosters administered in the last month, flu shots approach 150,000 doses”. Hennigan. Arkansas Times. October, 2022. https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2022/10/11/about-35000-covid-19-boosters-administered-in-the-last-month-flu-shots-approach-150000-doses
