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?

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe it doesn't get a look in. Was it predicted for this year ? Probably not virulent enough and cov gets there first.

[Sqad]

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

[Bobbisox1]

that's a very good point Naomi

[Vagus]

I would imagine that with all the handwashing, social distancing, etc., that normal flu hasn’t been as prevalent this year, maybe that’s partly why.

[bednobs]

i would imagine all the weakest who would have been most likely to have succumbed to flu were killed off by covid already

[tiggerblue10]

Maybe more people went for the flu jab in previous years. Also, increased hygiene levels due to covid and mask wearing may be keeping it at bay.

[tiggerblue10]

...*than* in previous years!

[bednobs]

i luv markb has it :) https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Body-and-Soul/Question1735683.html

[ToraToraTora]

I think the CV measures effectively limit all virus transmission so there will naturally be fewer cases of flu, common cold etc.

[Togo]

Covid has "cured" cancer, halted the glow bulls, stopped coastal erosion, freed the air of greenhouse gas, defeated terrorism, and reduced the likelihood of being injured in a traffic accident more than decades of legislation and thousands of sleepy policemen. Thank God for small mercies.

[Patsy33]

I've been saying the same. Perhaps it's due to distancing, mask wearing, hand washing? Or like you said, lumped in together with Covid.

[ichkeria]

It also did for Trump.

I think the reasons flu is on the backburner have been covered above.
I’ve had three text messages and a letter about vaccination so it’s been more in my mind than normal

[woofgang]

when talking about hospitals being ovewhelmed there was mention of more people with other illnesses also being in hospital and I am guessing that many of those will have been admitted with the usual seasonal respiratory illnesses....but yes, MASSIVE take up of the flu vac this year and the anti covid precautions will have helped.

[sevenOP]

No clear answer to that question it appears.

" In the UK, our flu season is only just beginning. But since Covid-19 began spreading in March, just 767 cases have been reported to the WHO compared with nearly 7,000 from March to October last year."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8875201/Has-Covid-killed-flu.html

The added covid precautions would have helped, but as Mail article notes, lots of ifs and buts. Complex thing human biology and disease.

[pixie374]

It seems you can catch both at the same time
https://patient.info/news-and-features/what-happens-if-you-catch-flu-and-covid-19-at-the-same-time
We are obviously doing a lot of covid testing, but I'm not sure how many flu tests are done.

[woofgang]

pixie, is there a flu test?

[steg]

I doubt they are lumped in with COVID, when tested you either have COVID or you don’t.
if you have flu and not COVID and are tested for COVID it will
say you don’t have COVID

[pixie374]

Apparently so, I had to Google to find out, but I'm not aware of anyone actually being tested for it.

[Ellipsis]

> We regularly hear at this time of year that the NHS is overwhelmed with cases of flu

I've never heard of the NHS being overwhelmed. Pushed and stretched, yes, but right now is the closest it's ever been to being overwhelmed, and that's even with a lockdown. One frontline doctor describes the overcrowding as an order of magnitude worse than he's ever faced before.

It seems likely that parts of the NHS will become overwhelmed in the next couple of weeks.

> Has flu disappeared - or are those figures being lumped in with the daily death toll from Covid?

If somebody dies without having tested Covid positive in the previous 28 days, they are not included in the Covid death toll.

[naomi24]

//If somebody dies without having tested Covid positive in the previous 28 days, they are not included in the Covid death toll.//

Some people here have said that relatives who tested negative and subsequently died of other causes have been included in the Covid figures… but that aside if people have tested positive and then die of another cause within 28 days they are included in the Covid death toll so how can we be sure that deaths caused by flu aren’t also included? Flu has always been rife during winter months, creating enormous strain on the NHS, but now suddenly that seems to have changed. Given the method used of assessing Covid related deaths, the figures we’re being fed can’t possibly be accurate.