The CDC reports an extremely mild flu season with very few positive tests and only one child dying of the virus thanks to preventative measures against the Coronavirus. The Hill. In a normal year 20 to 30% of tests come back positive for the flu but in this season only 0.1% are, an extreme drop. And the virus usually kills 22,000 people per season but this year only 450 have died with the stats for children being even better. In a normal year around 195 children die but this year only one has done so. Experts credit Coronavirus precautions, such as hand washing, masks, remote work and schooling and the high number of people that took the vaccine this season. However, there are fears that the next flu season will be much worse than normal due to few people being exposed this season.
My Comment:
I have to say that I agree with this report. Though the measures against the Coronavirus may not actually be effective in fighting the disease I do think that they are extremely effective at fighting the cold and the flu. I almost always get at least one cold every year and I tend to get the actual flu virus every couple of years as well. Since the Coronavirus precautions went into place I have not gotten sick with respiratory symptoms at all, not counting my allergies. That is the first time I can say that has ever happened as I almost always get at least one cold every year.
I think the flu shot push helped a lot this year. I usually skip the flu shot largely out of convivence but this year they were having the shot right at work at a time when it was extremely easy for me to take. I had a bad reaction but regardless the push got me vaccinated at least. And I think a lot of other people who would otherwise not get the shot did so. Part of it was the fact that people didn't want the anxiety of having to wonder when they got sick if it was the flu or the Coronavirus.
I think the handwashing push was a big part of it as well, which was funny as it doesn't seem to have affected the spread of the virus. From what I understand fomite transmission is fairly rare for Coronavirus but it's very common for influenza, so by trying and failing to protect themselves from one virus they may have done so for the other.
Should we be worried about a bad wave of flu next winter when the Coronavirus is presumably going to be gone or a minor issue? Maybe. I think some of the changes from the virus will stick around, with people more likely to wash their hands and wear masks if they are sick. And with more people staying home they will also be less likely to infect people, as the work from home craze seems like a more permanent change.
And I also don't think the virus will be that much worse than in previous years in terms of deadliness. Most people get the flu every couple of years or so, and that means they will still have immunity built up. People will also take the vaccine, with the developments from the Coronavirus vaccine perhaps being used to create more effective ones.
I know some people have said that it's possible that the influenza virus might go extinct. I don't think that is likely at all. After all the flu has non-human hosts as well and they aren't taking any precautions. Once we stop our precautions for Coronavirus I am expecting the virus will come back, though not any more dangerous than it was before.
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