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July 22 (UPI) – The 2020-21 influenza season was the lightest on record since at least 1997, the first year in which cases of the virus were tracked, according to data released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Well less than 1% of the more than 1.1 million samples collected from people with flu-like symptoms tested positive for the seasonal virus, the agency said.
In a “typical” flu season, in which about 35 million people are infected with the virus, up to 25% of samples tested come back positive, based on historical data from the CDC.
The reduction in influenza cases seen between October 2020 and May 2021 is likely due to measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing masks that cover the nose and mouth and social distancing, the CDC said.
Like COVID-19, influenza is spread by virus droplets emitted from the mouth and nose.
“The same preventive measures we use to prevent COVID-19 disease work for the flu, including physical distancing, masking, avoiding crowds and staying home when sick,” the specialist said. Public Health Brandon Brown to UPI in an email.
“[This is] another reason for everyone to get the flu shot as soon as possible with a return to work and school, which means a return to exposure, ”said Brown, associate professor of population social medicine and public health at the University of California-Riverside.
Likewise, samples testing positive for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which causes the common cold, fell from 15% in the months leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to between 1% and 2% the rest of year and May, the agency reported.
In the previous four years, the rates of positive tests for this virus have never fallen below 3% and have reached 17%, according to the CDC.
Between April 17 and May 22, the percentage of samples that tested positive for RSV dropped from 1.1% to 2.8%.
During that time, many parts of the country relaxed restrictions on masking and large gatherings, said Brown, who was not part of the CDC’s analysis.
Likewise, the percentage of samples that tested positive for respiratory adenoviruses, which can also cause the common cold, as well as pneumonia, ranged from 1.2% to 2.6% between January 2020 and April of this year, before rising. jump to 3% in May, the CDC said.
In a typical month before the COVID-19 pandemic, that number could reach 15%.
It is unclear whether the “all-time lows” for these respiratory viruses and others reported by the agency will continue through the fall and winter, as COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed in many. parts of the country, according to Brown.
However, the reduced spread of these diseases, which can cause serious illness, especially in the elderly and those with chronic health conditions, shows the value of face coverings and other control measures, including vaccination. , did he declare.
“Many countries around the world use face coverings as part of their daily life, and some especially if they go out in public when they are sick,” Brown said.
“Wearing a mask in public when you think you might get sick is showing respect for the health of others, and it’s that simple and something we can all use indoors in public spaces or at home. ‘outdoors with large crowds, to avoid a number of respiratory viruses,’ he said.
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