COVID-19 Far More Lethal Than a Cold, Contrary to Suggestion in Viral Video
by Saranac Hale Spencer
Dec 22, 2021
4 minutes
SciCheck Digest
COVID-19 has killed more than 805,000 people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet a viral video on social media suggests the disease is the same as a “common cold.” COVID-19 is in the same family of some cold viruses, but its potential for a severe outcome — including death — is much higher than for the common cold.
It’s difficult to know exactly how deadly COVID-19 is, but as the World Health Organization has , studies estimate that the infection fatality ratio, or percentage of deaths out of all infections, is between 0.5% and 1%. The true rate isn’t clear, since the pandemic is ongoing and not
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days