What Happened To Flu?

[naomi24]

We regularly hear at this time of year that the NHS is overwhelmed with cases of flu, but this year I've heard no mention of it. The only figures we get are those related to Coronavirus. Has flu disappeared - or are those figures being lumped in with the daily death toll from Covid?

[pixie374]

//but that aside if people have tested positive and then die of another cause within 28 days//

And not just that... I asked a question recently about retesting, after my daughter was positive- and it shows people can still test positive for up to 90 days after they had it. So, that is a very big window for a false positive too.

[Souldarkness]

The precautions for covid are also suppressing the spread of flu, also there has been wider flu vaccination with more groups offered it.

[Ellipsis]

The death figure I take most notice of is excess deaths. This is running fairly close to the reported Covid death numbers, ie more than 70000 above average since March.

But deaths are not the only issue. Many more people are surviving, thanks to better treatments and understanding, but keeping those people alive and nursing them back to health is only adding to the pressure on the NHS.

[steg]

//And not just that... I asked a question recently about retesting, after my daughter was positive- and it shows people can still test positive for up to 90 days after they had it. So, that is a very big window for a false positive too.//

When my mother went into hospital with a clot in her lung, we asked if they would give her another COVID test as she had tested positive a month before, they said no, as she had recently had it

[teacake44]

May be the government have with held these flu deaths because they realize that many people are sick to death with hearing about such deaths. Many people have got to the point of not even wanting to talk about such on social media, because when they do they get pulled to bits by other posters.

[pixie374]

Yes, steg, same policy. But lucky you knew she had previously been tested and had it. Otherwise, they might have tested her, and not realised the results were from 3 months ago.

[steg]

Would it not be on her medical records that she had tested positive?

[pixie374]

I would hope so- because she actually had a test. But there could well be people that have unknowingly had covid over the previous 90 days, but it would suggest they still did. Not

[pixie374]

Sorry for the "not"! Don't know where that came from.

[jno]

I can't say I remember the NHS ever being overwhelmed by flu, but some years are worse than others, particularly if the jab that year hasn't worked. They're having a mild flu season in the USA, so probably the same here - which is fortunate.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/09/flu-covid-twindemic-us-fears-recede-influenza

[Hopkirk]

What happened to colds?

[sevenOP]

Ellipsis @12:04 Sat 09th Jan 2021- "One frontline doctor describes the overcrowding as an order of magnitude worse than he's ever faced before."

Ten times worse ? That is bad.

Changes in protocols affect statistics:

https://web.archive.org/web/20210107182734/https://www.bbc.com/news/55536762

[pixie374]

I had one in Dec, hoppy, for the first time in years and years. Same symptoms as my daughter, but test cane back negative.

[steg]

As 90 days is a ‘could’ I would imagine the number to be quite small

[sevenOP]

NHS being overwhelmed is not unusual.

Guardian Articles:
(2020) https://bit.ly/3s42cIZ

(2019): - https://bit.ly/3s0cCt8

(2018): - https://bit.ly/2Le7QYy

(2017): - https://bit.ly/3q1hWKX

(2016): - https://bit.ly/2JVoQlB

(2015): - https://bit.ly/3s5Vrqe

(2014): - https://bit.ly/2Lys7rG

(2013): - https://bit.ly/3q4k5G2

(2012): - https://bit.ly/3nvL8YW

[pixie374]

I'm not too convinced of that, steg. Considering my daughter is officially well enough to return to working with vulnerable people, 10 days after a positive. Getting the same result 90 days later... is 9 times longer than necessary.

[steg]

Fair enough pixie, but in my book “could be up to 90 days” would mean 90 days would be most unlikely, not the benchmark

[pixie374]

It's the minimum before a retest is worthwhile. I'm not sure either, but it just seems a big window for potential positives, which are no longer there.

[Peter Pedant]

// Lockdown proceedings have arguably controlled Covid and at the same time "hampered" the Respiratory viruses.//

that is a very good point Sqad myboy
and is also the official explanation
BUT
they also know, being old, getting flu and then covid will kill you - so there has to be some about

and what will it go down as - covid probably

does covid = flu ?
no we have had all that - ( a few times before )
same answers

[Ellipsis]

sevenOP, an order of magnitude is not necessarily 10 times, even to a mathematician. I think given we're talking about a doctor, we can take it as meaning "much".

The NHS is under more pressure than at any point before, despite the 3 lockdowns that we've had.

Tell me though, what's the issue? Are you trying to show that things aren't that bad compared to normal, and therefore we should stop the lockdown? Or what?