https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/four-years-on-covid-19-remains-a-worse-killer-than-the-flu-study-finds/
An interesting study done using VA records.
I always like more info, but am annoyed that the media (Seattle times in this case) still wants to lead with big scary numbers insteard of useful information.
Seattle times:
Patients hospitalized for COVID had a 35% higher risk of dying within 30 days than influenza patients, Ziyad Al-Aly and colleagues at the clinical epidemiology center of the Veterans Affairs St Louis Health Care System in Missouri found.
Actual numbers:
The COVID-19 and seasonal influenza groups were balanced after propensity score weighting (Table 1). Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 had a higher risk of death compared with those hospitalized for seasonal influenza (adjusted death rate, 5.70% vs 4.24% at 30 days; adjusted HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.10-1.66]).
While the Times is factually correct (4.24 x 1.35= 5.72) they purposefully framed it to seem like COVID was a significant increase in risk.
For comparison the CDC is reporting 2022-2023 Flu Burden report is reporting 31,000,000 cases of the flue and 21,000 deaths, so all ages mortality of like 0.06%. Of course, we all know that COVID and Flu hit older people worse, so your risk decisions should take that into account. (15,000 of those deaths were in people over 65) If you are in a high risk for a bad time with respiratory illnesses because of either age, or health, than yes, COVID is still a real concern, and is one of the endemic illnesses you should protect yourself from.
