Analysis: Scientists debate whether COVID is now less risky than flu

Scientists debate how lethal COVID is. Some say it's now less risky than flu They argue the threat posed by COVID has lessened because of preexisting immunity and access to treatment. Plus, some deaths may be incorrectly blamed on COVID. Others caution it's too soon to tell. NPR.org

Has COVID-19 become no more dangerous than the flu for most people?

That's a question that scientists are debating as the country heads into a third pandemic winter. Early in the pandemic, COVID was estimated to be 10 times more lethal than the flu, fueling many people's fears.

"We have all been questioning, 'When does COVID look like influenza?''' says Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. "And, I would say, 'Yes, we are there.'" ...

But there's still plenty of differing views on this topic. While the threat from COVID-19 may be approaching the peril the flu poses, skeptics doubt it's hit that point yet.

"I'm sorry — I just disagree," says Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's medical adviser, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "The severity of one compared to the other is really quite stark. And the potential to kill of one versus the other is really quite stark."

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