“How is the regular flu not overwhelming hospitals yet still killing so many people? Are there just that many people in the hospitals at one time that even though there are lots the hospitals have the capacity for it? Are people more commonly dying of the flu at home?”
Here’s my read on it. Since this is new, the world’s population hasn’t developed an immunity to it. So when it broke out, it spread rapidly (and still is) because there was no resistance. That’s what makes it “overwhelming“. Influenzas, on the other hand, don’t break out like that because it’s already kind of all over the place. People are accustomed to influenza, so the panic side isn’t there. And people aren’t typically hospitalized for the flu, so hospital capacities don’t get exceeded.
One thing I think is true but don’t have info to prove it is this:
It seems the older I get, the less often I get sick. I believe that’s because I’ve encountered a lot of diseases over the course of 61 years and have accumulated a lot of immunities, developed a lot of antibodies. So if I do get the flu, those things help me get over it more easily despite my age. Added to this, I believe (someone please correct me if I’m wrong), is the fact that our respiratory system degrades as we age and becomes less efficient. This Coronavirus primarily attacks the respiratory system. Coupling a less-efficient respiratory system with a virus your body has never seen before is a recipe for trouble for the elderly. This might help explain why children fare so well, because they have younger, healthier lungs and such. Just a theory.