Covid Precautions Might Have Helped to Eradicate the Flu

As with everything in life, even the worst situations have some silver linings. And in this pandemic, the silver lining might be the end of the flu as we know it!

Many experts believe that measures used to protect against transmission of COVID-19, such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands regularly, and most importantly, not seeing people, have allegedly contributed greatly to driving down rates of the seasonal flu.

According to a story reported in the Wall Street Journal, there were approximately 800,000 flu patients this time last year in Japan, while only 1,000 flu patients in the second week of January 2021. In England, there have been no new hospitalizations for the flu the first week of 2021, and zero cases of influenza in Israel as of mid-January.

Does it mean we have eradicated the flu? Not so fast, actually some health experts fear that the flu may rev back up at a higher rate than previous years once public-health measures against COVID-19 are lifted. It’s too early to say what will happen next winter, but for now, keep your masks on. As my abuelita would say, “hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.”