Toby Cosgrove: Never mind Ebola and start worrying about the flu

Ebola is taking over the news, but is it the disease we should really be worried about? According to Toby Cosgrove, CEO and President at Cleveland Clinic, as many as 3,000 to 49,000 Americans could die from the flu in the next four to six months.

As Cosgrove says:

Over the past 30 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported, flu-associated deaths in the U.S. ranged from 3,000 to 49,000 annually. The 2009-10 flu season, which included an outbreak of the H1N1 strain, resulted in 54,000 deaths from flu and pneumonia.

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While we are all focused on Ebola, we might want to consider other risks out there, even though it might not necessarily be a morale boost.

CNN reported that 6 infectious diseases are more worth some panic, based on CDC reports:

Flu – The culprit behind 3,000 to 49,000 deaths each year
Enterovirus – Although not resulting in many deaths, 10-15 million people are infected each year.
Norovirus – 570-800 are killed each year contaminated from other people, food, and water.
HIV – About 50,000 people are infected each year.
Hepatitis – 16,000 deaths have been suspected from this disease spread by infected needles.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection – 14,000 people over the age of 65 die from this annually.

The Ebola buzz isn’t unwarranted though. “Of course, Ebola is a very serious disease,” Cosgrove says. “It’s not something to be taken lightly. It deserves our attention and strategic planning. At this point, though, very few Americans are at any risk of contracting Ebola. Everyone, however, is at risk of contracting the flu, which is why it’s important that people understand how to protect themselves against the highly contagious influenza virus.”