What exactly is driving the hype around Covid-19? Is it the lack of a vaccine? Is it based on the speed of how it has spread? Or, is it simply based on the unknowns?

As we now embark on the mandatory mask-wearing phase in trying to rid ourselves of COVID-19, this decision risks escalating a level of concern people may have on the control of other future flu-related viruses. 

Canada’s Public Health Agency has reported that on average about 12,200 people a year are admitted to hospital for flu-related issues with about 3,500, or 29%, succumbing to the flu. The latest reported number of COVID-19 cases in Canada is 105,935 with 8,693, or 8%, deaths. As 82% of these deaths have occurred in long-term care homes, the remaining deaths represent about 1% of those affected. 

While I am not suggesting we avoid precautions that may help in controlling the spread of COVID-19, it does raise the question of why mandatory mask-wearing was never an issue for the statistically higher death rate during our annual flu seasons or does the availability of a vaccine preclude the need for a mask?