Has the flu disappeared?

[User135644]

I know last year it was practically eradicated due to lockdowns and social distancing. Covid still spread but influenza never spread at all last winter.

I haven't heard about it this winter. I feared the thing that might put us into restrictions was a bad flu season in conjunction with Covid. Everyone seems to have had Omicron this winter but I haven't heard of anyone with the flu. Are their still flu cases and deaths here?

There are some confirmed cases where I am but unsure if any in ICU etc. Quite a bit of flu-like illness that won't all be tested too. I'd say a fair percentage of people are still being relatively careful and distancing, using masks etc (I'm in Scotland so always been mandatory) and maybe not as much mixing as pre Covid?. Be Interesting to know numbers though, I agree. Not as bad as we were all expecting perhaps.

We've had flu here in the Flocon household

My DM was very ill just before Xmas with flu. Still recovering really. Narrowly avoided hospital.

You're right, there's still barely any flu around this season. I gather professionals are actually getting a bit worried about it - because population level immunity will be well down as a result so future flu waves after the end of social distancing could be quite severe. In addition, next year's flu vaccines could end up being a very bad fit since there's so few actual cases to use for identifying new strains.

Same thing with stomach bugs btw. Saw my gp just the other day and according to him all the winter vomiting bugs suddenly started appearing early last summer instead

The section on flu starts at page 33 and comparisons with previous 33 years are on page 36:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1048531/Weekly_Flu_and_COVID-19_report_w3.pdf

There is far less flu around than usual.

In addition, next year's flu vaccines could end up being a very bad fit since there's so few actual cases to use for identifying new strains

They usually predict, relyng on the seasonality of flu, based on what's been circulating between the hemispheres. It's not just new strains, it's knowing which of the existing strains are in the ascendancy. When circulation is low, these predictions become very hard to make.

@GrumpyPanda

You're right, there's still barely any flu around this season. I gather professionals are actually getting a bit worried about it - because population level immunity will be well down as a result so future flu waves after the end of social distancing could be quite severe. In addition, next year's flu vaccines could end up being a very bad fit since there's so few actual cases to use for identifying new strains.

Same thing with stomach bugs btw. Saw my gp just the other day and according to him all the winter vomiting bugs suddenly started appearing early last summer instead

That's the concern. We're going to be due a bad winter flu season and Covid isn't going anywhere.

The lack of stomach bugs is probably down to all the hand washing the children are doing. Not so much over the summer I assume?

Not flu, but there was a bad cold doing the rounds here in December. Everyone testing -ve on LFT and PCR but still bedridden with it.

There was also an outbreak of norovirus at DCs school so some folks have stopped washing their hands properly!!

Most children have been vaccinated against flu this year which probably knocked it on the head. Apparently it6s less transmissible too.

My YA child and all her housemates had norovirus a week ago. Seven of them.

I had flu Boxing Day for 6 days, the most poorly I've felt in a good 2 years completely knocked me for six.

A bad outbreak in a care home near me

DS had flu in September. Covid in November. Hardly recovered from one when he got the other.