It’s hard to believe, but it turns out that the coronavirus pandemic also has a “positive” side: last year, the regularly appearing flu epidemic practically disappeared.
According to statistics cited in the journal Popular Science, in 2019, from the end of September to the end of December, a record 65,000 cases of influenza were reported in the United States. And in 2020, this number dropped to 1000. It seems that all taken to contain the spread coronavirus, protective measures – wearing masks, maintaining social distance, banning large crowds of people in closed rooms, and others – have also been effective in curbing the flu epidemic. It also played a role that Americans have become much more likely to get the flu shot.
There is also a theory about the possible effect of coronavirus on increasing the immunity of people to the influenza virus, although scientists warn that this theory requires additional research.
And this is not only happening in the United States – a decrease in the number of cases of influenza has been noted worldwide. This trend began in Australia and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, where the peak in influenza usually occurs between July and August.
But what happens when the coronavirus pandemic is over? Some experts fear that the next flu season could be much stronger, as far fewer people had it in the past year. But this danger can be reduced thanks to the fact that many people will continue to take precautions against coronavirus infection and, after the pandemic ends, or are more willing to get vaccinated against the flu.
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Virus war