Thanks in large part to social alienation and the use of masks, as well as increased uptake of the flu vaccine, flu deaths during this season are almost non-existent.
Why it’s important: The drastic drop in flu and other circulating respiratory virus infections has given the U.S. health care system a welcome respite at a time when COVID-19 is in a rage.
By numbers: According to the CDC, the United States recorded only five flu deaths during the 52nd week of 2020, a period that typically represents the height of the flu season.
- That is, 40 times fewer deaths than the same week in 2019 and more than 130 times fewer deaths than during the 2017 flu season.
- According to data from BioFire Diagnostics, the levels of almost all common respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses are currently almost undetectable.
How it works: It turns out that if you drastically reduce world travel, close public workplaces and schools, and promote the use of masks and hand washing, you will cut off opportunities for the spread of common pathogens.
- It also helps that a record number of flu vaccine doses have been sent this season and that an estimated 53-54% of American adults had been shot in late December, significantly higher than the same time. from last year.
The big picture: Historically, low levels of influenza and other common viruses occur at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is at its worst.
- This is not surprising: although common viruses have been circulating for years and there is a basic level of resistance in the population, no one had encountered SARS-CoV-2 before it appeared in China long ago. a year and the virus continues to spread rapidly vulnerable population.
What to see: With each passing week with unusually low flu levels, susceptibility to the virus will increase, which may set the U.S. for a strong rebound in the future.
- This may be what is happening in Australia, where flu cases during its winter season were virtually non-existent, only to recover this December, when the flu is usually absent in the southern hemisphere.
The summary: While it’s good to see fewer flu deaths, SARS-CoV-2 is sweeping the United States by a completely different magnitude, with more Americans dying of COVID-19 last week than the total number of flu deaths. last season.