Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, warned of a long and harsh flu season in January 2020. The B strain began months earlier than usual. One of the worst flu seasons in decades was expected in 2020.
The WHO declared a global health emergency due to the coronaviruses epidemic. President Trump restricted travel from China in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Americans were told to change their practices to stop the spread of the novel virus. The CDC reported 21,773 new positive tests of the flu in the fifth week of 2020 compared to 10,879 in the same week of the previous year. The number of flu cases doubled nationally in the year before.
States had not yet mandated wearing masks in public because masks were in short supply. The flu numbers started to decline due to a better awareness of hand washing. The CDC reported a decrease in positive flu tests by the first week of March. The previous year’s flu season saw a 20% increase in positive tests.
Italy began to see an increase in coronaviruses within a month. The first death from COVID-19 was reported by the U.S. by the end of February. Scientists told us to wash our hands.
As expected, the number of positive flu cases dropped when states began issuing orders to stay at home. In the week of April 20, 2020, there were only 28 positive tests. On March 13th, President Trump declared a national emergency in response to rising cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. Businesses were closed. Positive tests for A and B flu strains dropped again. The season’s peak was a 74% drop.
Why did the decline happen suddenly? There are positive tests reported to the CDC for both A and B flu strains. When more extreme measures were taken to deal with the spread of COVID-19, you can see what happened with flu numbers.
According to the World Health Organization, there is a shorter serial interval for flu. COVID-19 is more infectious than the flu because of droplets produced from coughing, sneezing, or even talking. COVID-19 can be spread through droplets and remain in the air for a long time.
We shouldn’t skip our flu shots. The way in which the two illnesses are transmitted is different. Scientists don’t know if the outcomes of having both simultaneously will lead to extreme outcomes. The hard way is not worth it. Our behavioral changes to help reduce the spread of coronaviruses have also reduced the spread of the flu. The spread of both illnesses can be prevented with hand washing, social distancing, and wearing masks.
I enjoy hearing your comments. Let’s keep it non- political. What is happening to the flu is good news. As we head into the 2020–2021 flu season, we are hoping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We don’t need another thing to add to the calamity of 2020.
New CDC data suggests that the flu season will be more severe in 2020. January 4, 2020. Time Magazine has a story about the flu season. There are sources.
There is a weekly report on the U.S. Influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is a person named Derrick Bryson Taylor. August 6 is 2020. There is a chronological look at the coronaviruses pandemic. The New York Times has an article about the coronaviruses.
M.D., M.P.H. are the names of the people who are Lisa Lockerd Maragakis. The flu and coronaviruses are both diseases. The condition and disease of coronaviruses vs the flu can be found at JohnHopkinsMedicine.org.
