Influenza
You may not have expected to see this one on our list, but while COVID-19 and the new Kraken variant are known to be more virulent and aggressive, there is another virus that has always been aggressive, easy to spread, and extremely widespread: the flu! And while it may not seem like much to a lot of people, the flu is causing between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths every year worldwide.
Even in the USA, there are millions of people who get infected every year and die due to the flu, despite the yearly vaccine that is available to get every year. And with how weakened we have been due to COVID-19, it is estimated that the flu will be not only more aggressive but also more deadly this year. Experts say that if the flu had been given more attention, we probably wouldn’t have so many people (including children) dying every year because of it.
At the rate at which COVID-19 has been mutating, it is possible for it to become a virus we have to deal with constantly, just like the flu.
And if you’re curious about why the Kraken variant is worse than the other COVID-19 strains, read all about it here!
