COVID-19 Or The Flu? How To Tell Them Apart | HuffPost News

Public health officials say a North American outbreak of the novel coronavirus is inevitable. Every day it seems like new cases are popping up, masks are flying off the shelves and people are preparing for possible quarantines.

The global death toll has pushed past 3,000, with over 89,000 people infected worldwide. But as many health officials have pointed out, thats nowhere near how many people are infected and die from seasonal influenza every year there are an estimated one billion flu cases worldwide every year and the World Health Organization estimates that it kills 290,000 to 650,000 people each year.

So why the panic? And what exactly is the difference between influenza and COVID-19?

How are they the same?

Both COVID-19 and the common flu are viral infections. Both can spread from person to person through droplets usually from coughing, sneezing or talking.

They also have similar symptoms as they both hit your respiratory system and can cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue and in some severe cases, pneumonia.

Neither is a bacterial infection, so they cant be treated with anti-bacterial medication like antibiotics. Instead, health-care providers try to lessen symptoms, such as reducing fever.

How are they different?

Coronavirus broadly refers to a type of virus thats actually super common around the world. Most coronaviruses cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC), most people get infected with one or more of these viruses at some point in their lives.

WATCH: How is coronavirus different than the flu? Story continues below.

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COVID-19 , however, is a novel coronavirus. That means a new strain that wasnt previously seen in humans. The latest outbreak is attributed to the novel 2019 coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is its formal name.

The flu, however, is caused by a bunch of different types and strains of influenza viruses. There are two main types of influenza viruses that break out every year Influenza A and B. The 2009 outbreak of H1N1 was a type of influenza virus.

Coronavirus and influenza virus, while similar in symptoms, are from totally different families of viruses.

Scientists have been studying the flu for years, however, and can work quickly to develop vaccines and treatment in response to mutating strains. We also know that its a seasonal thing, and flu outbreaks tend to die down in the spring.

But COVID-19 is new and unknown. Were still not even 100 per cent sure how its spread. Scientists are also speculating that it could travel faster than the flu.

Overall according to the U.S. CDC , the death rate of those who have been infected with the flu this season is 0.05 per cent. According to research conducted by the Chinese CDC, the case-fatality rate of novel coronavirus is 2.3 per cent.

The other key difference is vaccines. Health officials have said any vaccine for COVID-19 could be over a year away. But the flu vaccine has been publicly available and working for years now the first vaccine for consumer use came out in 1945. Every year its refined to battle the most recent flu virus to keep you protected, and its usually about 40 to 60 per cent effective.

WATCH: How to wash your hands, according to the CDC.

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