Looking only at the total numbers paints a misleading picture.
It is no longer growing exponentially in China because they have quarantined millions of people. It was growing exponentially prior to the quarantine.
It is growing exponentially in other countries with recent outbreaks. Look at the growth charts for South Korea, Italy, and Iran.
While it is good news that the growth can be contained via quarantine, it is incredibly misleading to claim "this is just like the flu". The flu doesn't require the government to force people to stay locked up in their homes in order to prevent outbreaks.
You seem really hung up on the fact that the flu has killed more people. But based on all the studies we've seen so far, this virus is more contagious than the flu, and more deadly as well. If it infects the same number of people as the flu does every year, a lot more people will die.
It is no longer growing exponentially in China because they have quarantined millions of people. It was growing exponentially prior to the quarantine.
It is growing exponentially in other countries with recent outbreaks. Look at the growth charts for South Korea, Italy, and Iran.
While it is good news that the growth can be contained via quarantine, it is incredibly misleading to claim "this is just like the flu". The flu doesn't require the government to force people to stay locked up in their homes in order to prevent outbreaks.