Colds and flu disappeared?

[Floralapron]

Read an article this morning saying that colds and the flu have virtually disappeared this year.

Can someone explain to me in simple layman’s terms, why the flu and colds seem to have basically disappeared, but covid is still rife. Surely if the hygiene and distancing rules are working against other viral illness, they should be working against covid too? I’m really confused!

I wonder how the lack of germ sharing is going to effect us and the kids long term, will out immune systems weaken?

Deaths from flu have certainly radically decreased, however, the stats for these come from hospital admissions of (generally) the elderly. The elderly are more likely to catch Covid. If Covid hadn't been around, they may have become ill from flu and possibly died with pneumonia. Something's going to get you in the end, especially when you are 85+.

Surely only people who were seriously ill and in hospital would have been tested for the flu. And as flu generally only seriously affects those who are also the most vulnerable to covid, sadly many of those who would have been hospitalised with flu have already died with covid, while another percentage have been shielding.

No idea how they would know how many people in the general population would have flu in a normal year anyway. I've never been tested for flu or even gone to the doctor even while obviously having it.

What @Hibernatingnation said.

I’ve had a fair few colds this year, no one has asked me if I’ve had one in the name of research. I wouldn’t need/be able to get a Covid test because when I have a cold I don’t have any Covid symptoms.

I have had more colds this year than normal. 3 at the last count

I wish somebody would tell DS. Gems had s cold every 4 weeks like clockwork, since September. So horrible as we have to keep swabbing him.

Must be getting it from nursery, DS works from home and I am in PPE all day.

No way, my son has had like five cold since beginning of December.....