The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many questions from our listeners, including the very commonly asked- “Where did the flu go?”
Southwestern Public Health is helping answer that and is hoping to eliminate the suspicion that COVID-19 is just the flu that goes by another name, because it isn’t.
One is caused by a coronavirus and one is caused by the influenza virus. SWPH states that while symptoms are very similar, and the elderly and people with complex health needs are very susceptible to both, they are very different viruses.
Reasons the flu was not as present in our community this year include…
1. The Northern hemisphere flu season usually follows the Southern Hemisphere flu season. There was little flu there overall, and there was little international travel early in 2020, which limited the virus spreading from one hemisphere to the other.
2. The use of personal protective equipment, diligent handwashing and enhanced cleaning protocols has also had an influence on the number of influenza cases in the region. We’ve also been practicing physical distancing.
3. There was great uptake of the influenza vaccination in 2020. This helped stop the spread of influenza before it could get started.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Joyce Lock had this to say about the flu in our area.
SWPH says that the flu is less transmissible than COVID-19, so while public health measures have slowed but not stopped the coronavirus, they have really halted the spread of influenza.
