The Wuhan-origin coronavirus may make for flashy headlines but, as of yet, it isn’t a major health risk for most of us. Only a handful of cases have been reported worldwide. If you haven’t travelled to Wuhan, China, your cough is probably due to seasonal cold. If you’re still perplexed, get a flu shot.
Just to be clear, getting a flu shot will not protect you against coronavirus. That’s different. But the early symptoms of both are quite similar: coughing and fever. By getting a flu shot, you might get some peace of mind. It isn’t perfect but it can prevent several cases of flu and make others less severe.
Others can also benefit. For example, if there’s a coronavirus outbreak in your vicinity, you’ll not burden the hospital staff.
Another important reason for getting a flu shot is that flu has killed, and is likely to kill, a lot of more people than coronavirus in 2020. Each year, 20,000 to 60,000 Americans die because of the virus including the very young, very old or immunocompromised. Interestingly, they contract it from apparently healthy people who never got a flu shot.