Flu cases WAY down due to COVID measures

[crimycarny]

Happily (and not surprisingly) flu is waaaay down due to all the precautions taken for COVID. Though there is an increase in flu shots being given, that's not enough to account for flu being down 98% in the US and only 51 positive cases out of 83,000 tests in Australia, Chile, and South Africa combined.

I've always been a bit frustrated at the over-focus on flu shots over other precautions like hand-washing, etc. Though the CDC would mention hand-washing as being an important part of flu prevention, it was always more of a footnote. SO much focus on the flu shot that it made many believe they were now immune (or, if they did get sick, it wouldn't be as bad of a case). So why bother with hand-washing?

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6937a6.htm

Excerpt from linked article:

"These findings suggest that certain community mitigation measures might be useful adjuncts to influenza vaccination during influenza seasons, particularly for populations at highest risk for developing severe disease or complications."

Gee, ya think??

[underpants]

1. Masks are here to stay

Good news. Thanks.

[crimycarny]

2. I hope so

I know that I'll be wearing one during flu season. It turns out it's not that hard to do (except for some, obviously).

[Tanuki]

10. I think that for years to come and maybe forever I'll feel more comfortable

wearing a mask in many situations (public transportation, shopping, waiting rooms, movies, concerts, etc.)

[dalton99a]

3. Some people might even like it in cold weather

[underpants]

5. I've noticed the difference myself

Yes they do help.

[liberal_mama]

12. I've found I like wearing a mask

I wore masks before Covid19. When my grandmother was in the hospital, the hospital had boxes of masks all around for visitors and I wore them and didn't catch anything from being in the hospital visiting her for an entire month. It was a bad flu season that year too.

[tanyev]

14. I hope so. I know I plan to keep wearing them when appropriate even after Covid.

[RockRaven]

4. Conspiracy morons will cite these numbers as evidence that flu is being misdiagnosed as covid

And that covid isn't real, "they" just saying anyone who has the flu has the Rona so "they" can something something but my freedom. "Where did all the flu go?" and "Everyone knows that's impossible!" they will scream.

Coming soon to an Alex Jones infomercial, I mean Infowars episode, near you...

[rurallib]

8. How can the RW see a conspiracy here you ask?

[Irish_Dem]

6. People in Asia have been routinely wearing masks for decades.

When they are ill or when there is a lot of flu/colds going around.

[dalton99a]

9. And as air pollution filter in heavy traffic

It is a common sight in Asian countries

[Irish_Dem]

11. Oh yes that too.

I lived in Japan as a child, way before they became industrialized, and they were wearing masks back then too.

[crimycarny]

13. I saw that in Japan

I had the privilege of traveling to Japan a few years ago with my two oldest sons who are major fans of Japan and the culture.

Not only was I blown away by the amazing train system, but I noticed a lot of mask wearing. This was in July. I asked my two sons about this and they said it wasn’t so much about the wearer being “germophobic” and was all about the wearer not wanting to spread anything. The reason I remember this so clearly is I was a bit ashamed by my so called “enlightened” self jumping to the conclusion that the mask wearer was perhaps overly germaphobic versus being polite and trying to protect others....fast forward to today and how political masks are.

One other interesting cultural difference was almost complete silence on the trains. Not a lot of loud conversations, just polite silence.

[malaise]

7. Australia and New Zealand had the same results

Flu was way down because of masks and social distancing

[Wounded Bear]

15. Since forever, we've been going to work when we shouldn't...

because of our medieval policies regarding work. Staying home is a good way to stop spreading flu and colds.

Health in America has always taken a back seat to profits.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I'm Not Surprised

In prior flu seasons, we mostly saw masks only on very elderly people or those with serious respiratory conditions.
Now, places like schools, hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, et al are full of mask wearing people.
There's essentially no near past precedent, or baseline.
This makes perfect sense, and hopefully holds back the double whammy Fauci was worried about in the late summer.
His concern was well-founded, but flu should be abated by masks just as COVID is.
I hope this seemingly logical result holds true.