As covid recedes into history–we hope–a new study from Washington University sheds some retrospective light. (The link goes to an article in SciTechDaily, apparently by the authors of the study. The full report is here.) The study compared long-term adverse impacts from covid and seasonal flu, and found that covid was in most respects more damaging. However:
The statistical analysis spanned up to 18 months post-infection and included a comparative evaluation of risks of death, hospital admissions, and 94 adverse health outcomes involving the body’s major organ systems.
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During the overall 18-month study period, patients who had COVID-19 faced a 50% higher risk of death than those with seasonal influenza. This corresponded to about eight more deaths per 100 persons in the COVID-19 group than among those with the flu.
That’s all? It means that of 100 people who had seasonal flu, 16 died in the next year and a half. (With respect to fatalities, we are talking almost exclusively about an elderly and severely ailing population; not reported is how many died in the next year and a half absent either disease.) Whereas, of 100 who had covid, 24 out of 100 died in the ensuing 18 months.
That is a difference, certainly, but a difference worth sacrificing our younger generation for? Worth destroying hundreds of thousands of small businesses and turning our economic and social lives upside down for? No sane person would say so.
Then there is this; the authors enthusiastically endorse vaccination:
“For both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, vaccinations can help prevent severe disease and reduce the risk of hospitalizations and death. Optimizing vaccination uptake must remain a priority for governments and health systems everywhere. This is especially important for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people who are immunocompromised.”
However:
Regarding both viruses, patient vaccination status did not affect results.
I don’t know whether the authors of the study tried to reconcile those statements, and if so, how they did it. There is no obvious path to consistency.
Via InstaPundit