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Thousands of American lives have been lost to the novel coronavirus this year, but a historically fatal disease has taken over this season: the flu, which federal health estimates have only killed one child this year.
As a reminder, nearly 200 pediatric lives were lost during the 2019-2020 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There have been just 1,499 clinical laboratory confirmed influenza cases this year, according to CDC estimates, also showing that influenza-related hospitalizations are significantly lower this season compared to previous seasons.
Between October 1 – the start of the influenza season – and February 20, there were 183 laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalizations, representing an overall cumulative hospitalization rate of 0.6 per 100,000 population, according to the CDC.
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“This rate is well below the average for this point in the season and lower than the rates for any season since the start of routine data collection in 2005, including the 2011-12 low severity season. During the 2011-12 season, the rate was 2.2 times higher. at this point in the season. Age-stratified hospitalization rates will be presented once the number of cases increases to a level that produces rates. stable by age, ”says the agency.
Experts who previously spoke to Fox News about the below-normal influenza activity in the country this year said preventative measures to protect against COVID-19 – such as wearing masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing and avoiding crowds indoors – likely played a role in keeping the flu at bay.
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School closures likely played a role as well, as early research suggests children transmit the flu virus better than COVID-19, said at the time Dr. Abisola Olulade, a family doctor in California.
Olulade also pointed out that while some may suggest people were not testing for the flu amid the coronavirus, the positivity rate of those who had remained lower than usual, indicating that the spread of the virus in the community was indeed small, and this is not a problem. what test was performed.
Alexandria Hein of Fox News contributed to this report.
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