It's Just a Normal Flu

Is COVID-19 really JUST the flu? Is the flu even a big deal? A defining factor of the "normal flu" is that it mutates every year. This is why we can't have herd immunity to it, because a new vaccine is needed each year. Related to these mutation, the flu also affects animals, and when it does--and it's particularly troublesome when transmitted to birds and pigs--it can then be transmitted to humans who won't be immune to it even if they're vaccinated, because our antibodies are different. So do you still want to compare COVID 19 to the flu?