TOLEDO, Ohio — Lucas County health experts are asking people to be more aware and cautious of the flu than the coronavirus.
"Flu is here! In the United States right now about 10,000 people have died from the flu. Close to, well over 15 million individuals have had the flu," Toledo-Lucas County Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said.
Zgodzinski said those are the numbers for this flu season which started in October.
"The Coronavirus, on the other hand, is only estimated to currently infect about 17,000 people worldwide. The majority of those cases are in China. And there's only been 11 confirmed cases here in the United States," said Senior Emergency Medicine Resident Physician at St. Vicent Medical Center Breanne Jaqua.
The doctor and the health commissioner said those numbers alone should show just how much more prevalent the flu is here in the U.S. than the coronavirus.
"So when we start talking about diseases, we're right now in the United States much more concerned about the flu and making sure that people are staying healthy. That's not to say that we shouldn't be aware of whats going on with the Coronavirus. We need to stay informed and stay healthy," Zgodzinski said.
Zgodzinski said he also believes the U.S. is taking extensive precautions to make sure the coronavirus doesn't spread.
"It's important to realize that you only have to worry about the Coronavirus really if you've been in contact that has had a confirmed case or if you've been traveling to China," Jaqua said.
However, even if a person is from China, the commissioner assures you there is no need to worry or point the finger.
"Just because we look one way, we've traveled someplace, it doesn't mean that you're gonna be in contact with the Coronavirus. There are specific things that we're looking for," he said.
"I may never meet in my life somebody who's had the Coronavirus, especially one of the 11 or 12 that had it in the United States. So the chances are just very low at this time," Jaqua added.
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