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Covid

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Original poster

A genuine question

42 replies

Redbrickwall · 26/01/2021 22:46

Where has flu gone? Statistics by WHO show it’s pretty much vanished

I just don’t understand it.

I am NOT a Covid denier - my parents have been poorly with it (not desperately ill but unwell).

How has a virus like flu disappeared? And if it’s because of the measures, why don’t they stop Covid? It doesn’t make sense to me at all.

I’ve caught several colds throughout lockdown (I’m still working), so viruses like colds and the flu still have opportunities to spread

Interested in answers

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 26/01/2021 23:41

Also how do we know that the test is picking up an asymptomatic person whos symptoms are being caused by the flu.. Not covid.

Because the test is highly specific for the covid virus, it's irrelevant whether the symptoms of flu are similar.

I think when flu season is over you will see covid dropping fast
Sure - because the reasons we have a 'flu season' always meant we were likely to have a similar 'covid season'.

Puzzler333 · 26/01/2021 23:44

It was predicted way back on Radio 4 More or Less that flu deaths would be down if Covid got bad. Some of the frail people who died of Covid in summer 2020 did not therefore survive to catch and die of flu in winter 2020.

However, I imagine the numbers that this affected were really low (given that % of population who have died of or had covid is fairly low) and that social distancing has very likely been a much more significant reason.

And yes, more flu vaccines probably had an effect too.

Carrotcakeforbreakfast · 26/01/2021 23:47

Because all of the measures being taken to reduce covid will also reduce everything else

It really is that simple.

2boysand1princess · 26/01/2021 23:47

OP, I think a lot more people have had the flu vaccine this winter. All my kids have been given it through school and they aren’t even “vulnerable” only youngest DS has very mild asthma.
Also, even though we see a lot of flu cases every winter, it can’t be as transmissible as I’ve never had the flu vaccine, yet never had flu and I’m almost 40. I’ve had bad colds, but never the flu. (Touch wood!)

ErrolTheDragon · 26/01/2021 23:54

There's a simple guide from the CDC in similarities and differences between covid and flu which some may find helpful in understanding this.

www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm

Lipz · 26/01/2021 23:57

My take is because we worldwide have been socially distancing for nearly a year, people are actually washing their hands, we've been wearing masks. This would stop the flu spreading. Plus everything is being sanatised. It just goes to show how dirty people are generally.

The flu jab is up here where I live. All vulnerable people were told to get it, those also with immune issues had to get the pneumonia jab.

The flu jab was late last year because we normally wait to see which strain comes out of Australia, because flu cases were very low there, it took longer to make a vaccine for that strain.

It's the same with vomiting bugs, again because of lock downs, masks, washing these bugs never stood a chance.

orangenasturtium · 27/01/2021 00:04

It's because of social distancing and higher uptake of the flu vaccine.

Flu is a lot less transmissible than SARS-CoV-2. It's R0 number is about 1.3 compared to 2.5-3 for SARS-CoV-2. Even if you introduced flu to a population that had never been exposed to the flu, it is a lot less transmissible than SARS-CoV-2.

All the measures to reduce the effective R number of SARS-CoV-2 also reduce the effective R number of flu (because they are both predominantly spread by respiratory droplets) but as it is much lower, it takes a lot less to reduce the R number to below 1 and once that happens the outbreak stops (because if each person who is infectious infects less than one person on average, the number of new people infected will decrease to zero).

"Colds" have an R0 of 2-3 so are more transmissible than flu, similar to SARS-CoV-2, hence the measures have had less effect.

Mrbob · 27/01/2021 00:11

@frasersmummy

Because flu and covid have very similar symptoms and people get tested for covid but not flu If the test was for flu how many would be positive for that?

Also how do we know that the test is picking up an asymptomatic person whos symptoms are being caused by the flu.. Not covid.

I think when flu season is over you will see covid dropping fast

There is not one test for “a virus” For FFS.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 27/01/2021 00:20

@Motorina

Social distancing and increased flu vaccine uptake are likely factors.

I reckon the big one, though, is a cultural shift. Pre-covid, my workplace expected us to drag ourselves in even if we were dying. That was the norm in lots of places. Now? Slightest tickle in the throat and you stay home and get a test. I bet that's made a huge difference to how readily the flu virus can spread through schools and offices.

This is it in a nutshell. the one good thing to come out of covid is the cultural shift -- take illness seriously. Perfect attendance in school is not as important as staying home and not spreading germs.

PoochiePlush · 27/01/2021 01:08

@frasersmummy

Because flu and covid have very similar symptoms and people get tested for covid but not flu If the test was for flu how many would be positive for that?

Also how do we know that the test is picking up an asymptomatic person whos symptoms are being caused by the flu.. Not covid.

I think when flu season is over you will see covid dropping fast

Sorry I don't understand this but where you say "an asymptomatic person with symptoms caused by flu"... if they're asymptomatic then the don't have symptoms

SimonJT · 27/01/2021 06:33

@frasersmummy

Because flu and covid have very similar symptoms and people get tested for covid but not flu If the test was for flu how many would be positive for that?

Also how do we know that the test is picking up an asymptomatic person whos symptoms are being caused by the flu.. Not covid.

I think when flu season is over you will see covid dropping fast

Why do you think a person with flu would test positive for covid if they have a covid test? In hospitals patients are typically tested for both flu and covid when they are admitted, before covid testing patients with symptoms of flu for the flu virus was very common.

Thats like thinking a positive pregnancy test could actually be testing ‘positive’ for ovulation.

Do you understand that asymptomatic means no symptoms? If someone is asymptomatic they wouldn’t have any symptoms.

How do you personally explain the covid cases in the UK outside of the flu season?

Zogstart · 27/01/2021 07:56

I thought it was because there’s not much of a time with flu that you can pass it on before you get symptoms. Unlike covid which is massively contagious just before symptoms show.
This year, the first hint of ‘flu like symptoms’ and people isolate. The flu doesn’t get passed on to anyone.

frumpety · 27/01/2021 08:12

The sizeable uptake of Flu vaccinations will be one factor. Schools not being open or not being open for long during the flu 'season' , social distancing , mask wearing, hand hygeine, isolating with symptoms, will all have played a part too.

AuntyClementine · 27/01/2021 08:36

I had a flu vaccine this year, despite never normally doing so. I suspect a lot of other people are the same.

raviolidreaming · 27/01/2021 10:16

Sorry I don't understand this but where you say "an asymptomatic person with symptoms caused by flu"... if they'reasymptomaticthen the don't havesymptoms

I think they mean that someone could simultaneously be asymptomatic with covid-19, and symptomatic of flu. So it goes down as covid-19 because of the positive test, but it was actually flu that caused the symptoms and death? And do-do-do-do (suspense music) no medics thought of this so the flu is actually running amok, hidden under asymptomatic covid-19. Despite presenting different clinically. It's clutching at straws to downplay covid-19, but does make a change from all the people being run over by buses with covid-19.

ZoBo123 · 27/01/2021 12:49

COVID is mild or asymptomatic in so many people and that is what makes it so dangerous. You carry on with your life (albeit restricted by lockdown) spreading germs everywhere. These are spread to others who largely do the same as most won't realise they have it. That is why it spreads so much. Flu generally floors people they are ill and do not go anywhere. For those that do the social distancing and lockdown measures have made fly much less of an issue this year

artquejtion · 16/02/2021 21:34

read this comment somewhere ......... One sign of covid’s nastiness is the fact that the covid countermeasures basically eradicated the flu while covid still surged

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