What Happened to Flu Season?


The pattern in North America followed an extremely quiet flu season the Southern Hemisphere. The U.S. typically looks to countries like Australia for a glimpse at what might be coming to our shores. Doctors say they are beyond relieved that we didn’t see flu misery on top of the winter COVID-19 surge.

“The question is why, and the answer is pretty interesting,” Bogoch says.

First, he says, there are the precautions people have been taking for COVID, like masking, social distancing, and frequent hand-washing. Sure, not everybody is doing these things, but many are. “I don’t think we can ignore that,” he says.

Secondly, many people seem to have heeded public health advice to get a flu vaccine.

“At least in Canada, there was massive uptake of the flu vaccine this year,” Bogoch says.

Official numbers on vaccination rates for this year’s flu season aren’t yet available for the U.S., but so far, the CDC says nearly 194 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed. That’s another record, topping last year’s distribution by about 20 million doses. Distribution isn’t the same as the number of shots going into arms, so it remains to be seen whether high vaccination coverage may have played an important role in tamping down the flu here.



Bogoch also points to less international travel as a reason the flu wasn’t a big deal.

“This is an infection that that follows mobility patterns as well,” he says, “and there’s just remarkably less human mobility this year.”

Perhaps the biggest reason for the disappearance of the flu this year has to do with children.

“Children are the great distributors of the influenza virus in our society,” Schaffner says.

Kids shed flu virus for longer than adults do, and they shed it a day or two before they show any symptoms, says Jennifer Nayak, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Rochester Medical School. She has studied the life cycle of flu infections in children.

“As we’ve learned the hard way, with COVID, shedding virus before you are symptomatic makes it really, really hard to contain an infection,” she says.





Source link

41 thoughts on “What Happened to Flu Season?

  • August 29, 2023 at 2:52 pm
    Permalink

    This design is spectacular! You certainly know how to keep a reader entertained.

    Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job.
    I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that,
    how you presented it. Too cool!

  • August 29, 2023 at 2:55 pm
    Permalink

    Hey there! I’ve been reading your web site for some time now and finally
    got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Lubbock Tx!
    Just wanted to say keep up the fantastic work!

  • August 29, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Permalink

    This article will help the internet users for building up new web site or even a blog from start to end.

  • August 29, 2023 at 3:24 pm
    Permalink

    Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you
    download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a
    few simple tweeks would really make my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your
    theme. Bless you

  • August 29, 2023 at 4:06 pm
    Permalink

    Hello there, You’ve done a great job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends.

    I’m confident they will be benefited from this site.

  • August 29, 2023 at 4:15 pm
    Permalink

    Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?
    There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content.

    Please let me know. Thanks

  • August 29, 2023 at 4:32 pm
    Permalink

    I am really impressed along with your writing abilities and also with
    the structure for your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you
    modify it your self? Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it’s uncommon to peer a nice weblog like this one today..

  • August 30, 2023 at 1:40 am
    Permalink

    Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you
    present. It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while
    that isn’t the same old rehashed information. Wonderful read!
    I’ve saved your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  • August 30, 2023 at 7:45 am
    Permalink

    Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author.

    I will make certain to bookmark your blog and may come back later on.
    I want to encourage continue your great job, have a nice morning!

  • August 30, 2023 at 8:29 am
    Permalink

    Nice blog here! Additionally your site lots up fast!
    What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link on your host?
    I want my site loaded up as fast as yours lol

  • August 30, 2023 at 10:03 am
    Permalink

    What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience about unpredicted emotions.

  • August 30, 2023 at 2:27 pm
    Permalink

    Very shortly this web page will be famous among all blog users, due to it’s
    fastidious articles

  • August 30, 2023 at 8:35 pm
    Permalink

    Excellent beat ! I would like to apprentice while you amend your site,
    how could i subscribe for a blog site? The account helped me a acceptable deal.
    I had been tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept

  • September 2, 2023 at 8:20 pm
    Permalink

    On the net tax price is 14.25% of gross gambling revenue and retail 9.75%.

    Also visit my web blog; toto79.org

  • October 9, 2023 at 10:36 pm
    Permalink

    We’re a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community.
    Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done an impressive
    activity and our whole neighborhood can be thankful to you.

  • October 10, 2023 at 2:56 pm
    Permalink

    I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This piece of writing posted at this site is really pleasant.

  • October 10, 2023 at 2:58 pm
    Permalink

    Hi there to every body, it’s my first pay a quick visit of this website; this blog includes awesome and actually fine stuff for visitors.

  • October 10, 2023 at 2:58 pm
    Permalink

    Hi, I read your new stuff regularly. Your story-telling style is
    witty, keep it up!

  • October 10, 2023 at 3:00 pm
    Permalink

    Your style is unique compared to other folks
    I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess
    I’ll just bookmark this blog.

  • October 10, 2023 at 3:01 pm
    Permalink

    Terrific article! This is the kind of info that should
    be shared across the net. Shame on the search engines for not
    positioning this put up higher! Come on over and seek advice from my website .
    Thank you =)

  • October 10, 2023 at 3:02 pm
    Permalink

    What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this
    I’ve found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads.
    I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid different customers like its
    aided me. Great job.

  • October 10, 2023 at 3:05 pm
    Permalink

    Hi there! This article could not be written much better!
    Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He always kept preaching about this. I am going to send this article to him.
    Pretty sure he will have a great read. I appreciate you for sharing!

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Permalink

    Hello very cool web site!! Guy .. Beautiful ..
    Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally?
    I’m satisfied to seek out a lot of useful info right here in the post, we’d like
    develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
    . . . . .

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:28 am
    Permalink

    Great work! This is the type of information that
    are supposed to be shared across the net. Shame on Google for no longer positioning this put up higher!
    Come on over and visit my site . Thank you =)

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:30 am
    Permalink

    This info is worth everyone’s attention. Where can I find out more?

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:30 am
    Permalink

    Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a
    few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same
    results.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:32 am
    Permalink

    If you are going for finest contents like I do, simply pay a visit this site daily because it presents quality contents, thanks

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:32 am
    Permalink

    I read this post fully about the comparison of most up-to-date and earlier technologies, it’s amazing article.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:33 am
    Permalink

    Aw, this was a really good post. Finding the time and actual effort to produce a great article… but what
    can I say… I put things off a lot and don’t manage to get nearly anything done.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:35 am
    Permalink

    Today, I went to the beach front with my kids.
    I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year
    old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear
    and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:35 am
    Permalink

    I enjoy looking through an article that can make men and women think.
    Also, many thanks for allowing for me to
    comment!

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:41 am
    Permalink

    Hi there, I log on to your blog like every week. Your writing style is awesome,
    keep it up!

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:41 am
    Permalink

    Howdy! I know this is kinda off topic however , I’d figured
    I’d ask. Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest authoring
    a blog article or vice-versa? My site addresses a lot of the same
    topics as yours and I think we could greatly benefit from each
    other. If you might be interested feel free to shoot me an email.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Wonderful blog by the way!

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:42 am
    Permalink

    It’s actually a nice and useful piece of info. I’m satisfied that you
    simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like
    this. Thanks for sharing.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:44 am
    Permalink

    It’s really a cool and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us.
    Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:45 am
    Permalink

    Why visitors still use to read news papers when in this technological globe the whole thing is available
    on web?

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:47 am
    Permalink

    This piece of writing will assist the internet people for creating new website or
    even a blog from start to end.

  • October 14, 2023 at 8:52 am
    Permalink

    Yes! Finally someone writes about Small Business Advice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.