The Centers for Disease Control’s resident “flu fighter” said flu cases are even low compared to summer months
The coronavirus pandemic raged on last year rendering the flu all but gone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the 2019 flu season from Sept. 29 to Dec. 28, a group of clinical labs reported to the CDC nearly 55,000 cases of influenza nationwide. During the same period this flu season, they reported 1,026 cases.
The same remains true right now during peak flu season. CDC official Lynnette Brammer said the current flu numbers are even lower compared to the summer months when flu cases are typically down. In mid-July, for instance, the percentage of influenza positives reported by public health labs was at 1.2% in mid-July 2020, compared to 0.3% in late January 2021.
“For flu surveillance right now, what we are seeing is basically record low activity,” she said.
Brammer currently leads the CDC’s Domestic Influenza Surveillance team, which is responsible for collecting, analyzing and publishing a weekly report on the impact flu is having across the U.S.
She attributes the current health guidelines, like wearing masks and social distancing, as one reason for the decline in cases as well a decline in travel — especially international travel.
“The mitigation measures that are in place for Covid like washing your hands, wearing a mask, staying 6 feet or more away from other people — those all seem to be working well for flu,” she told KCM. “They probably work even better for flu because there’s a lot more population immunity against the flu.”
Although flu numbers are low right now, Brammer warned that there’s a possibility that it could spike in the coming months.
“All the respiratory viruses are way down and this isn’t just a U.S. phenomenon,” she said. “This is happening everywhere, but one of the things we did see is when some countries rolled back some of the mitigation activities — mainly mask-wearing — the flu popped up again.”
She also urged Americans to be diligent about getting their flu shot, emphasizing that it will provide “another layer in your protection.” She added that taking more precautions will prevent further stress on the public health care system amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though hospitalizations are the lowest they’ve been in nearly two months, experts are warning that the U.S. is still in for a “rough” coming weeks.
“An important thing to remember is there are drugs that can treat flu, and that’s especially important for people with high-risk conditions,” she said. So you don’t want to forget that flu might be a possibility at some point.”
Given that the flu and Covid-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, they have very similar symptoms such as cough and fever. Health experts recommend that if you experience any symptoms, it’s best to self-isolate and get tested as soon as possible.
“You probably want to consult with your physician to try and come up with a definitive diagnosis,” Brammer said. “You don’t want to try and guess yourself.”
Written and reported by Tess Bonn.
