Coronavirus precautions that are likely to be associated with low cases of influenza in the United States

ACROSS AMERICA — Was the coronavirus essentially overcome the flu and submitted?

The very low number of flus announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that it is very likely to be the case for another week.

1 week until January 30th Influenza activity It remains minimal in all states and US territories. At this point last year, influenza activity was high in New York City and 45 states in Puerto Rico.

According to the CDC, 18,531 tests were processed in clinical laboratories across the United States in the same week. Of these, only 25 were positive for the flu. At the Public Health Institute, 9,102 tests were processed and only three were influenza positive. Two were influenza A-shares and the other was influenza B positive.

So far, 1,499 tests (only 0.1%) have returned to flu-positive during this flu season, according to CDC data.

“Usually this time of year we run a 20-30% plus,” said Lynnette Brammer, head of CDC. Domestic influenza monitoring team, Told FiveThirtyEight.

Nationwide hospitalization for flu-like illness remains low for the week leading up to January 30.

Since October 1, a total of 155 influenza-related hospitalizations have been reported. As a result, the current hospitalization rate is 0.5 per 100,000, lower than the average at this point in the season, for the 2011-12 season.

To be fair, the coronavirus cannot fully admit that the number of influenza this year is low.

But you can.

According to experts, this massive change is a precautionary measure taken to avoid COVID-19 infection: wearing a mask, increasing social distance, and compulsory cleaning of the surface (rather than coronavirus). It may be related to (which is likely to help prevent influenza). ), And keep the children away from the classroom.

“Children are the main vector of influenza,” David Tofam, co-director of the New York Influenza Center of Excellence in Rochester, told FiveThirtyEight. “If they don’t breathe each other as usual, the flu isn’t so contagious, and even if the flu isn’t the reason to keep them away, the trick still works.”

COVID-19 remains the largest cause of mortality in the United States. According to this week’s influenza report, 28.4% of deaths in the United States during the week leading up to January 30 were due to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19.

However, of the 6,424 deaths reported that week, 5,648 had COVID-19 as the cause of death on their death certificates, and only four had influenza.

So far, only one child death has been reported during this flu season.

A year ago, the CDC reported at least 22 million illnesses, 210,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 flu deaths.

So will this immeasurable flu season continue?

According to experts, future outbreaks are inevitable. That timing is not.

In the past, the flu season remained relatively quiet, only boiling in February. Schweta BansalA disease ecologist at Georgetown University told Atlantic.

“We may not be out of the forest yet,” Bansal said. Alternatively, an off-season outbreak can occur if certain behaviors recede in the summer. “

According to the CDC, the groups at highest risk for influenza are the elderly, very young children, pregnant women, and groups with certain chronic medical conditions.

According to the CDC, the symptoms of the flu are:

• Feel fever or fever / chills (although not all people with the flu have a fever)
• cough
• sore throat
• Stuffy nose or stuffy nose
• Muscle and body pain
• headache
• Malaise
• Vomiting and diarrhea are seen in some patients, but this is more common in children than in adults.

Because influenza is a highly contagious disease, the CDC urges everyone to take the following steps to protect themselves and others.

• Take the time to get a flu shot. There are many different types of influenza viruses, but influenza vaccines protect against the viruses that have been suggested to be the most common in research. The CDC says it’s never too late to get this year’s vaccine.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• When you are ill, limit contact with others as much as possible to prevent them from being infected.
• If you are suffering from flu symptoms, you should stay at home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone, except for medical and other necessities. (It is necessary to remove fever for 24 hours without using antipyretic agent.)
• If you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, rub with an alcohol-based hand.
• Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. Bacteria spread like this.
• Cleans and disinfects surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with bacteria such as influenza.
• Take flu antivirals if prescribed by your doctor.