A "major difference is that COVID-19 causes more severe disease than seasonal influenza.
While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease.
Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected."
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization's Director-General
"Tofauti kubwa ni kwamba COVID-19 husababisha ugonjwa mbaya zaidi kuliko mafua ya msimu. """ Ingawa watu wengi ulimwenguni wamejenga kinga dhidi ya aina za mafua ya msimu, COVID-19 ni virusi vipya ambavyo hakuna mtu aliye na kinga dhidi yake. Hii inamaanisha kuwa watu wengi zaidi wanaweza kuambukizwa na wengine watapata ugonjwa mbaya. Kwa ujumla, karibu 3.4% ya visa vya COVID-19 vilivyoripotiwa vimefariki. Kwa kulinganisha, mafua ya msimu kwa ujumla huua chini ya asilimia 1 ya wale walioambukizwa." Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Shirika la Afya Ulimwenguni