What happened to seasonal influenza this winter?

Last year at this time, almost 9,000 people were hospitalized with seasonal influenza. This year a little over 150 have been treated in hospitals for the flu. What is going on out there?

I find it interesting that COVID-19 cases skyrocketed since late October and seasonal influenza cases nearly disappeared. I remember the media promising a Twindemic of two viral infections – influenza and coronavirus. Was this factual forecasting or just making headlines?

2021 Seasonal Influenza

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-the-flu-season-basically-disappeared-this-year We are being told that the precautions taken to stop the spread of coronavirus is exceptionally effective in preventing the spread of the influenza virus. These precautions did not contain new cases of coronavirus from hitting new highs, though. However, the flu was stopped dead in its tracks.

What I do not understand is that respiratory droplets spread both viruses! One is no smaller than the other. COVID-19 has a slightly higher virulence than flu viruses, but not enough to account for the number we are seeing this season.

Hand washing and social distancing combined with business and school closures and quarantines can temporarily stop COVID from infecting people. Still, these measures halted the spread of the influenza virus.

Winter Wonder?

http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2014/the-reason-for-the-season-why-flu-strikes-in-winter/ The China Flu, COVID-19, started a year ago and was thought to follow the usual cycle of winter infections due to cold, dry weather conditions. During the summer months, the coronavirus would subside. We know that is not true. Yet, the viruses that make up the annual flu outbreak are hard-wired to cold, dry climes.

We know that the mortality rate from seasonal influenza is around 0.1 percent, while coronavirus is two to three times as deadly. Both kill adults over 55 years of age with equal lethality.

Vaccination programs appear to work a bit, but no one knows the actual effectiveness of each year’s vaccine since it is based on a ‘best guess’ of which viral strains will be dominant in the future. Vaccines for seasonal influenza are made months ahead of time to help the public be better equipped to deal with this disease.

Dramatic Reduction!

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-flu-cases-dramatically-low-so-far-this-season The United States experiences tens of millions of cases of seasonal influenza every year. Hospitalizations for the flu approach nearly a million, with fifty or more thousand deaths each year. Something has happened to seasonal influenza that reduced the infection rate from tens of millions to less than a thousand. Explain that! I cannot.

I do not believe that masks, social distancing, washing hands, business, and school closures and quarantines effectively stop the flu virus and not the coronavirus. Is testing accurate? That is my first thought. Are people with influenza testing negative for the flu and positive for COVID-19? Possible?

Like coronavirus, the seasonal influenza survival rate is above 99%, with 95% or more surviving with bed rest at home. Even the symptoms of seasonal influenza can vary from light to severe. Is it possible that people have the flu and not coronavirus? I think it is possible.

Conclusion

I cannot explain the out-of-control growth of COVID-19 over the winter of 2020-21 and the total collapse of seasonal influenza at the same time. The southern hemisphere saw a similar pattern during the summer of 2020. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flu-season-never-came-to-the-southern-hemisphere1/ Infection rates for seasonal flu were at forty-year lows below the equator last summer (their winter).

Something seems hinky about diagnosis, analysis, and reporting of the major killing diseases in the past twelve months. Just my opinion!

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *