Are people underestimating the impact of other viral infections?

[GruffaloandMouse]

With Covid, it seems like people are in such a state of terror, as though they don’t realise other viruses and infections could have awful or even devastating effects.
I’m far more scared of sepsis, which can occur as the result of any infection or even a small cut on the finger.

A couple of examples from me are when I caught hand, foot and mouth as an adult from my DS last year, I was so unwell. A very high temperature, chills, shakes, such painful body aches, incredibly sore throat. Then a day later these huge ulcers all developed down my throat and in my mouth, rendering it basically impossible to eat without excruciating pain. Nothing like a normal sore throat, these were like open wounds in my throat.
Luckily I managed to fight it off, but I’ve heard stories of adults ending up in hospital with both that and chicken pox.
My other example is of my DS when he was only 2 months old, he caught a genetic cold virus from me and it turned into broncholitis, which ended him up in hospital overnight with oxygen and a feeding tube. He was very white, floppy and unresponsive the next day and we were worried we might lose him. Luckily he was fine, but it was incredibly scary and that came from a cold virus.

Basically I just can’t get my head around the reaction to this virus, when there isn’t the same reaction to other viruses and infections.

@CountFosco

Statistically the chances of being injured or killed in a road accident are much much higher than being seriously ill with covid.

Please check statistics, it's really not hard. There are just over 1700 deaths on the road per year in the UK and 20-30,000 serious injuries. Both less than the deaths from Covid-19 this year so far.

I meant for people who don't have other risk factors, I should have been clearer.

40% had no symptoms at the point of testing. Presymptomatic and asymptomatic are not the same thing. We don’t really know what the rate of asymptomatic cases are yet.

It's looking like 40% asymptomatic not presymptomatic
Some studies are saying 30% so perhaps between 30 and 40% would be more accurate

@InOutofmymind

It is more serious for Asian people, yes. Which might have made a difference here?

CV left to run riot, will overwhelm health systems, in a way that few if any other illnesses would do, be that in China or the UK.

TBH nothing comes close.

I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting it is just left to run riot.

@CountFosco

Statistically the chances of being injured or killed in a road accident are much much higher than being seriously ill with covid.

Please check statistics, it's really not hard. There are just over 1700 deaths on the road per year in the UK and 20-30,000 serious injuries. Both less than the deaths from Covid-19 this year so far.

For otherwise healthy working age adults and children the risk of life changing injuries or death from an RTA are much worse

For otherwise healthy working age adults and children the risk of life changing injuries or death from an RTA are much worse

You are not comparing like with like. The RTA figures are deaths (~1700) and serious injuries (20-30K depending on the year, this year will be lower of course due to lockdown) for a year.

The Covid-19 deaths are for 3 months. In April 1/3 of all deaths in all age groups except the under 15s was linked to Covid-19 Fig 7 on this ONS site , suggests if we let it run rampant we'd be in trouble. We don't yet know the long term impacts for those who were seriously ill. And I don't know what the definition of 'serious injury' after a RTA is, don't know if you do? How does that compare with the number of people who will suffer long term impacts of having Covid-19? We just don't have the data yet.

We do know there are already more Covid-19 deaths (~ 5% of all deaths are in the under-60s so over 2000) than the yearly expected RTA deaths.

There is obviously a discussion to be had about the impact of Covid-19 vs other causes of death vs the social and economic impact. It is not an easy decision to make and everyone has their own level of acceptable risk but there's no point comparing non-equivalent data and there is no point making up numbers as PPs have done on this and other threads.