Historic no seasonal flu season

[robinson]

There’s more to it of course

Since novel strains (the kind that tend to kill people) almost always come from Southeast Asia each year, the lack of travel, especially anyone who is sick with the flu, is a possible major factor in the flu vanishing

Flu strains that most people have immunity to don’t spread

It’s the strains that are new that cause the damage

But in any case, anyone sick with the flu just couldn’t travel in the last year

[robinson]

Or go to work, or go to school, or visit a nursing home, or sit in a Doctors office

[robinson]

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has seen a notable global reduction in influenza cases of both influenza A and B viruses. In particular, the B/Yamagata lineage has not been isolated from April 2020 to August 2021, suggesting that this influenza lineage may have become extinct, which may provide opportunities for improving availability and effectiveness of influenza vaccines.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-021-00642-4

I mentioned something odd showed up in April 2020 data

Now it's official

[robinson]

https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/endangered.png

https://xkcd.com/2523/

[Anaxagoras]

Flu may return this year. May have already returned.

State health department raises alarm as campus flu outbreak climbs to over 500 cases

It's still sort of early to say though. But that may already be more cases than all of last year, just on one college campus.

H3N2, if anyone's curious.

[Doctor X]

Do they not have mask mandates on campii?

– J.D.

[robinson]

The University of Michigan is tracking a "large and sudden" rise in cases.

Considering the starting number is zero …

[robinson]

Any rise is going to seem large

With the record snow and cold in China

All the ducks are back

Time for another lockdown

[robinson]

And to check the CDC site once more

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

Says all the Michigan cases were from one outbreak

[Hotarubi]

https://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpghttps://i.ibb.co/fHRC8XL/Blessing-Good-Fortune-Good-Luck-Chinese-Character-Fu-Kaiti-3.jpg

[Pyrrho]

https://fortune.com/2021/12/08/twindemi ... ccination/

The correlation between those who have eschewed both their flu shots and COVID vaccinations is extremely high, the CDC found. About 71% of adults who are vaccinated or definitely plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine have received or intend to receive a flu shot this season. Meanwhile, just 10.9% of adults who probably or definitely will not get COVID-19 vaccine have received or intend to receive a flu vaccine.

The CDC warned recently of heightened influenza activity this year.

“An increase of influenza A(H3N2) viruses has been detected in recent weeks, with most of these infections occurring in young adults. CDC also is aware of influenza outbreaks in colleges and universities in several states,” the agency said in a statement.

The A(H3N2) virus, the dominant flu strain this year, is particularly aggressive. In previous years when it was the main strain, hospital rates and deaths amongst those over 65 were elevated.

Flu season peaks from December to February each year, around the same time COVID-19 peaks due to colder weather and holiday get-togethers.

[robinson]

Getting a flu vaccine actually doesn’t hurt. If you’re elderly or at risk from dying from the flu I would get one. But what the hell do I know?