H1N1 vs COVID-19 - different social moments?

[David Horn]

(03-16-2020, 05:56 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: The CDC has H1N1 as 60 million cases in the US causing 12,469 deaths for a %0.02 death rate as opposed to a %2.0 guess for the recent virus.  This could cause a very different level of panic.  A quick look at the precautions issued by the CDC at the time does not include anything like the shutdowns we are seeing recently.

The single largest difference between H1N1 and COVID-19 is the variability of response to the virus and how sick one has to be to infect others.  Some people -- even some elderly people thought to be most at risk -- simply have such mild symptoms, they can be considered well.  That doesn't prevent them from infecting others -- in fact it promotes it.  So a large part of the recommend response of social distancing and limited contact with others, has to do with our inability to know when we are at risk, or putting others at risk by our behaviors.  That also makes the economy much harder to maintain in normal fashion.