As the COVID-19 continues spreading around the world, it’s imperative that people take it seriously and realize that this virus is nothing like the flu.

Yes, the flu is bad and people don’t always recover, but it’s important to remember that the flu has been around for a very long time and most of the world has built up immunity to the seasonal strains. Not to mention, there is a vaccine for the flu which reduces the risk of getting it by 40 to 60 percent.

The coronavirus is something new to us. We haven’t experienced it before and neither have our bodies, so it makes sense that our body won’t know how to fight it, making it way more difficult for our immune system to fight it off. Due to no one having immunity to the virus, we are more susceptible to infection and severe illness.

Most people know these basic facts and are only comparing the two because the president has continued to make the comparison and is underestimating the power of the coronavirus. But, the people will listen to what their leader says and I believe that this is the reason why some people aren’t taking the quarantine and social distancing as seriously as they should. The recent Florida spring-breakers are a prime example of adults choosing to ignore the instructions of health officials and some state governments.

The biggest thing to remember is that the flu is not the same as the coronavirus and it is definitely not worse than it. The coronavirus is killing even those who are young and healthy, while the flu is kind of hiding away and letting the coronavirus do it’s work.

In truth, the president is not a doctor nor a health official, so people need to stop listening to what he is saying about the flu and the coronavirus and instead listen to the Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York who have not only been a symbol of hope but have also set an example of realistic optimism in this time of total pessimism.