TBT: Covid-19 is not the Spanish Flu

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 03.04.21 One year ago this month, Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic and society tumbled into a messy chaos of toilet paper hoarding, mask debating, and comparisons. Many compared Covid-19 to the Spanish flu, citing a statistic that suggested the new coronavirus had a frighteningly high fatality rate of at least 2 percent, which was supposedly comparable to that of the 1918 influenza pandemic. But the comparison was severely flawed, and the numbers it relied on are almost certainly wrong. Read more about this common misconception, plus the best WIRED stories from this month a year ago, below.   Covid-19 Is Not the Spanish Flu A widely cited stat about death rates seems to argue otherwise, but it's surely incorrect. So how'd it end up in the research literature? The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What's Coming Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, who warned of pandemic in 2006, says we can beat the novel coronavirus—but first, we need lots more testing. 14 Apps and Tools to Stave Off Cabin Fever Millions of people are staying inside for the indefinite future. Here are a few apps to help you socialize, exercise, and meditate from your own home. OK, Zoomer! How to Become a Videoconferencing Power User As the pandemic pushes work online, Zoom is the new office. Follow these tips to get the most out of those video meet-ups. First Denial, Then Fear: Covid-19 Patients in Their Own Words People infected with the coronavirus try to cope as the crisis accelerates. The professionals taking care of them are quickly becoming overwhelmed. Animal Crossing Is the Game We All Need Right Now Sorry, I don't have time for the news today. I'm on island time. How UFO Sightings Became an American Obsession In 1947 a pilot spotted a fleet of "saucer-like" aircraft speeding across the sky. It was only a matter of time until paranoia set in. GET WIRED Get 1 year of WIRED access for less than $1 a month. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions