False: COVID-19 is a rebrand of the seasonal flu.

By: Pallavi Sethi
December 20 2021

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Although COVID-19 and the seasonal flu are contagious respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different pathogens.A Facebook post implies that COVID-19 is just a rebrand of the seasonal flu, and that people are made to believe it is a "threat" to their existence. There is no truth to this claim. Although COVID-19 and the seasonal flu are respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different pathogens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that COVID-19 is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas influenza viruses cause the flu. Researchers first discovered COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in 2019. A common minsinformational narrative about COVID-19 has been its similarity to the regular flu. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 and flu are both respiratory illnesses. Other similar characteristics include airborne transmission, meaning the diseases can spread through large or small virus particles suspended in the air. However, WHO clarifies that the speed of transmission is different between the two viruses. Flu symptoms can appear between 1 and 4 days, while in COVID-19 symptoms can occur between 2 and 14 days after infection. In addition, the CDC warns that COVID-19 can cause severe illness or be fatal. Since the two viruses have some overlapping symptoms, people must get a PCR test to confirm the illness. As of July 27, 2021, globally, over 4,00,000 people have died of COVID-19, and there have been more than 190,00,000 confirmed cases. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.