![The flu still hospitalizes and kills thousands of people each year. [Ohio Department of Health]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2ca8e52/2147483647/strip/true/crop/912x538+0+0/resize/840x496!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F3%2F31%2Fflu%20hospitalizations%20in%20ohio%20coronavirus.JPG)
What are your questions about the coronavirus?
ideastream is answering as many questions as possible, with help from local experts in a range of fields. You can send us your questions with our online form, through our social media pages and group or call us at 216-916-6476. We'll keep the answers coming on our website and on the air.
Kamryn from Toledo asked: " Why is everybody freaking out when the flu is worse?"
MetroHealth’s Dr. Brook Watts said Kamryn is right, we should still be concerned about the flu. It kills thousands of people each year so people should take precautions and get the flu shot.
Whether the flu or COVID-19 is worse remains to be seen, since data from the coronavirus is still new.
But, as Gov. Mike DeWine has said during his daily press conferences and as the World Health Organization has noted, the data we have right now shows the coronavirus has a higher death rate than inflenza.
“The reason we’re worried about COVID-19 is that there really is no immunity in the population," Watts said.
This is a new virus, Watts said, so unlike the flu, where some people are vaccinated or have had it before, no one has had COVID-19, so no one is immune and everyone is susceptible.
