Help protect friends and neighbors

This is not the flu.

A theory that has been floated by some to minimize COVID-19 is that it is “just like the flu.”

To put it simply, it’s not.

We’re not the first to point this out. But it bears repeating.

And instead of looking at worldwide numbers from the World Health Organization or national numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we’re going to look at Indiana specifically.

The statistics give a clear picture.

An Indiana State Department of Health report shows 132 Indiana residents died as a result of the flu during the 2019-20 flu season. (It began in early October and ended in mid-May, about seven and a half months.)

Compare that to COVID-19, which as of Thursday’s report had accounted for 3,831 deaths in the Hoosier State. That’s 29 times more than the flu over approximately the same period of time.

Those numbers couldn’t be much more clear. COVID-19, being a new disease with no cure and no vaccine, is far more dangerous than the flu.

And, as flu season begins, it’s getting worse.

It took Jay County 60 days to reach 50 cases and another 79 days to record its next 50. As of this writing, the county had 42 cases in the span of just a week.

Prior to Sept. 28, the county had not experienced a death from COVID-19. As of Thursday’s state report, that number was up to six.

And there has been an outbreak at one of our long-term care facilities, home to those who are especially susceptible to the disease.

While we need to continue to live our lives, it’s also prudent to implement relatively simple precautions that can help to minimize the spread of COVID-19:

•Wash or sanitize your hands frequently

•Wear a mask at gatherings, especially indoors

•Maintain social distance

•Stay home from work and school if you are feeling sick

For months at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Jay County was a success story. There were few cases, no deaths. That is no longer the case.

But if we take the small steps health experts recommend, we can slow the spread of the disease and help protect our most vulnerable neighbors.

That’s a worthy goal as we approach the holiday season. — R.C.