Are COVID-19 Protocols Affecting Seasonal Flu Numbers?

While most of us battle the common cold once a year, stomach bug, or possible flu, this winter is all about the COVID-19 pandemic and how not to catch it.

The worst pandemic in one hundred years is forcing Americans to stay away from family on holidays, work from home, and at the very least wear a mask and handwash.

In spring 2020, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, fearing a double-whammy of sickness and hospitalizations, required all students K-12 to get the flu shot in order to participate in in-class learning.

That is no longer required.

Experts predicted that flu case numbers may be down a little due to COVID-19 protocols, but I think even they are shocked to see flu numbers as low as they are.

Popular Science notes that in 2019 the US had 65,000 recorded cases of the flu between September and late December, and in 2020 that number dropped to just 1,000. All of the precautions people are taking to not catch COVID-19-- including wearing masks, increased hand-washing, social distancing, and avoiding indoor social activities—are also helping people avoid catching the flu. -newser.com

Now given the fact that more people did get the flu shot this year in response to the experts' advice, protocols in place to prevent the coronavirus is absolutely a reason we are seeing extremely low numbers of seasonal influenza this year.

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