@VToncologyNurse question if you’re lurking.

We’ve heard about ICU’s and hospitals being stressed to the breaking point, shortages of PPE, etc.

According to the CDC website, the 2017-18 flu season resulted in 810,000 hospitalizations and 61,000 deaths. My question is - realizing you’re not an ICU or ER nurse - how would you compare the strain on hospitals and staff from 2017-18 flu to the current C19 pandemic?

One thing I’m having trouble wrapping my head around is how this could currently be any worse than the 2017-18 outbreak. I realize it could GET worse, particularly if we don’t flatten the curve. But the current C19 hospitalizations and deaths - in absolute numbers - is not at the levels we saw during the peak of the 2017-18 flu season.

What am I missing?

Posted: 03/26/2020 at 1:41PM

@VToncologyNurse question if you’re lurking. -- RoswellGAHokie 03/26/2020 1:41PM

Hospitals right now are NOT at the breaking point in general. VCU -- MilwaukeeHokie 03/26/2020 5:07PM

One thing I think you're missing is that the flu isn't taking a break -- ElbertoHokie 03/26/2020 3:14PM

Fair. Length of ICU stays and fact that C19 is in addition to (not in lieu -- RoswellGAHokie 03/26/2020 3:23PM

Welllp, I never saw the state of our ED during the 2017-18 flu. But my ... -- VToncologyNurse 03/26/2020 2:30PM

In math terms, if C19 R zero is 2-4 range, and flu is R zero ~1.5, c19 spre -- ColoVT82 03/26/2020 2:13PM

A good description how flu can kill you. (link) -- 48zip 03/26/2020 2:09PM

At first glance, this looks like a fairly reasonable article. -- VToncologyNurse 03/26/2020 2:39PM

Here's an article comparing COVID-19 with previous pandemics. -- Hokie360 03/26/2020 2:07PM

Another question... -- EDGEMAN 03/26/2020 2:06PM

I hate Beamers -- engineering tolerances are just too tight and the car ... -- VToncologyNurse 03/26/2020 2:43PM

Re: I hate Beamers -- engineering tolerances are just too tight and the car ... -- statmanfromHCyrs 03/26/2020 3:14PM

The Gil Hanse reno was VERY low-profile ... -- VToncologyNurse 03/26/2020 4:42PM

Because this is IN ADDITION to the flu -- JoesterVT 03/26/2020 2:02PM

I think part of it is length of stay -- VTSnake 03/26/2020 1:57PM

You’re probably right. Jibes with what Oncology said above. ** -- RoswellGAHokie 03/26/2020 2:48PM

Maybe the C19 needs could hit in a much shorter time frame than the typ -- LaneRat 03/26/2020 1:48PM

I don't think it is spread out as evenly as the flu was -- SteveInBaltimore 03/26/2020 1:48PM

Yep...just talking to resident of Wilmington, NC...just a handful of cases -- Tuckahokie 03/26/2020 1:51PM

@VToncologyNurse question if you’re lurking.

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