People walk the High Line Park on July 16, 2020 in New York City. One of New York’s most popular attractions, the High Line, has reopened with social distance policies as part of the Phase 3 coronavirus plan. Visitors must visit Gansevoort St. enter, walk to one side, keep six feet apart and wear their masks. (Photo by Stephanie Keith / Getty Images)
In a pandemic that does not contain silver liners, it appears that there is at least one additional benefit of the preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19: a decrease in flu cases.
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Due to the fact that people are so careful with the coronavirus – wearing the mask, hand washing, constant cleaning, social distance, all the things we put in place – the flu is not spreading this winter as fast as in recent winters .
‘It’s quite impressive. It was a dramatic drop, ‘said Dr. Matt Hanson, medical epidemiologist at Public Health – Seattle & King County, told the KIRO Nights show. “If we look at this time last year, beginning of the year, 200-300 cases are identified within a week, and this time, 0, 1, 2 cases per week.”
Not only has the number of cases of flu in King County decreased significantly this year, but also the number of outbreaks and the number of deaths associated with flu, says Dr. Hanson, who at least believes it is due to prevention. measures taken with regard to COVID-19.
‘[In] a typical year, maybe we get 50 outbreaks, often in long-term care settings like nursing homes, and maybe 50 deaths. But so far this year we have not seen any deaths, no outbreaks, ‘Hanson said. “And even if it’s a little early – we’re seeing the rise in January, February often a little higher than, say, November, December – it’s still dramatically low compared to previous years.”
This trend is also seen at the state level, with few to no cases of flu. At the national level, Hanson says it is ‘much less than usual’ based on the CDC’s detection and surveillance.
“With the COVID measures in place, we are seeing significantly lower numbers,” he said at all levels. “And I would say that this is also true internationally, where COVID prevention measures were in place, we are also seeing significant declines.”
As for the long-term behavioral changes that could help curb flu cases in the coming years, Hanson hopes that some of the practices that currently exist, especially with respect to personal hygiene, will continue.
“I think the increasing personal prevention we have taken to wash our hands, use hand sanitizer, to make us sneeze and cough better in our elbow than in the air in front of us,” he said things he hopes will remain . ‘I think the things that are a little more important in terms of the steps we have taken around COVID, such as wearing masks all the time when you are outside your household, take the social distance – it’s probably harder to see happen in the long run. ”
“I think, of course, all the measures, it is important to go through this pandemic in the short term,” he added. ‘But I think a lot of these efforts to increase our personal hygiene around respiratory viruses are, in my opinion, improvements. I think wearing the long-term mask, other than the people we love, is probably going to be a little more challenging to maintain long, long-term. ”
He also hopes that the changes that have taken place at long-term care facilities, which are often affected by the flu season, have also taken place.
“I would say that there have been a lot of changes within these facilities, and that the facilities are much more regulated,” he said. ‘And I think the benefit was for all respiratory viruses, and the most important, except COVID, was with flu. So I think a lot of the changes that have been made to those facilities will take a long time. ”
There is also another tool in our arsenal, says Hanson, against the flu in the vaccine. There have been concerns that there is a decline in healthcare behavior, not as many people going to their local pharmacy or doctor to get flu shot during the ongoing COVID pandemic, but Hanson says that is not what happened.
“In terms of the data we have for September and October, it actually looks pretty good,” he said. “We actually vaccinated a larger percentage of the population than we had the previous year.”
That said, Hanson thinks these are the prevention efforts that have contributed to “the bulk” of the decline in flu cases this year, although people who get the vaccine certainly help as well.
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Some other behavioral changes, such as working remotely, may also play a role in the reduced cases. Dr. Hanson says it could be a good development in the future, especially during this time of year when there are more respiratory viruses like flu.
“And then I’ve definitely heard from a lot of people that there’s a bit of a culture change going on where people are listening to the advice that if you sniff, if you do not feel so good, you not only go out hard and go to work,” he said. said. ‘You’re actually listening to the advice and saying,’ you know what, here I’m hatching something. I actually stay home, and then I’m even going to call my medical provider to look after me. ”
Aside from flu, provincial health officials have also noted that lower cases of foodborne illness or other infectious disease have been noticed, which makes sense because people probably do not eat as much, do not go to the movies and usually stay home longer than usual.
“I would say the biggest difference is that we’ve probably seen respiratory viruses like flu and food behaviors,” he said. “It has decreased significantly.”
Earlier in the year, as did many health officials, Hanson said he was afraid of the double pandemic where flu and COVID-19 infections could occur at the same time.
‘I think, as we all know, it has been a very difficult 12 months for many people. And I think those who have been dealing with the flu for many years, of course, are always afraid of what is going to come in the fall and winter, and the whole prospect of a double pandemic and how it could potentially overwhelm our healthcare system. quite worrying, ”he said. ‘I think the silver lining of flu can not be overestimated because it’s dramatic how much it dropped. And I would never have expected it to be so low as to a point of a few weeks where you actually do not get business at all. “
‘I would say it’s the silver lining. And I think it’s an advantage, an added benefit that your listeners need to know, because a lot of the efforts they make to COVID benefit themselves and the community around flu and other respiratory viruses, ‘he added.
Hanson says it’s not too late to get your flu shot if you have not already done so, and tells listeners to “continue the good precautions.”
“And if it’s your time to adjust and get your COVID-19 vaccine, I urge you to do so,” he added.
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