[ad_1]
As Norway relaxes its COVID restrictions this month, there are a number of articles and social media posts that say “Norway has reclassified COVID-19 as a common flu”. Claims like this suggest that health officials in the Scandinavian country have admitted that COVID-19 is “no more dangerous” than other common respiratory illnesses.
However, this is not true. While Norway recently adjusted its response to COVID-19, it is misleading to say that COVID-19 is no more dangerous than the flu. It is also incorrect to suggest that Norway treats both diseases the same.
“It is not correct that the Norwegian Institute of Public Health [NIPH] asserted that “Covid-19 is no more dangerous than regular flu”. This statement is probably a misinterpretation of this interview in a major Norwegian newspaper, ”a spokesperson for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) told IFLScience.
The article, published in the tabloid VG on September 20, there was a comment from Geir Bukholm, deputy director general of NIPH, saying: “We are now in a new phase where we have to consider the coronavirus as one of many respiratory diseases with seasonal variations. “
Clarifying this statement, the spokesperson for NIPH added: “Our position, as stated in the press article, is that at this point in the pandemic, we need to start addressing COVID-19 as one of the many respiratory diseases circulating with seasonal variations. This means that the control measures that will be applicable for various respiratory diseases will require the same level of societal preparation. “
“This does not mean that the disease of the coronavirus [COVID-19] and seasonal flu are similar, ”they added.
On Saturday September 25, the Norwegian government deleted most of its social distancing measures. The NIPH said the decision was made in light of the relatively low and stabilized number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which they attribute to high vaccination coverage in the population. The approach is summed up as “normal everyday life with increased preparation”. However, people are still encouraged to get tested if they have symptoms and those who test positive for COVID-19 are still required to self-isolate.
The flu (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by very different viruses. Both diseases can cause similar symptoms, including a cough and fever, but a lot of research has shown that COVID-19 is much more deadly. COVID-19 is also more associated with long term impacts on health at large, ranging from ‘brain fog’ and persistent fatigue to organ damage and Diabetes.
Earlier this month he was shown that more people in the United States have died from COVID-19 than the number of American deaths seen in the “Spanish flu” pandemic of 1918, the deadliest flu epidemic of the last century.
[ad_2]
Source link