[Niamh.]

Looks like masks and hand washing is a good thing ..........

LATEST FIGURES SHOW that no cases of flu have been transmitted in Ireland this winter.

Figures released by the HSE show that there have been no outbreaks of the illness since early October, the period when annual counts traditionally begin.

The health service noted that the low figures are due to the disruption that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused to influenza networks across the globe.

Figures from the same time last year show that there were two deaths and 107 new confirmed cases of the flu reported during the same week in 2019, with 143 patients in hospital with the illness on 8 December.

The trends follow those seen in southern hemisphere countries earlier this year, where very low levels of flu were reported in winter.

Among more than 60,000 specimens tested in Australia by late September, only 33 influenza positive test results were detected.

There were also just 12 cases detected among more than 21,000 specimens tested in China and six among 2,098 specimens tested in South Africa by the same date.

Professor Ian Barr, deputy director of the World Health Organisation’s collaborating centre for reference and research on influenza in Melbourne told The Guardian that flu cases had “fallen off a cliff since March”.

https://www.thejournal.ie/winter-flu...96226-Dec2020/

[Alf]

Or maybe influenza deaths are just being put into the Covid statistics if traces of it are found? We know that the death rate for Covid is less than 1%

[rusticgal]

....and half the country are working from home.

[Cherie]

Incredible really, as well as handwashing, that there are no gatherings is a big factor as well I would imagine

[LeatherTrumpet]

we are 15 days into winter..

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

we are 15 days into winter..

They count flu season from October

[bitontheslide]

with all the isolating and social distancing, people are not maintaining their resistance to other bugs going around and that will cause havoc when life returns to normal

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

with all the isolating and social distancing, people are not maintaining their resistance to other bugs going around and that will cause havoc when life returns to normal

I'd tend to agree although as far as I know, there's no particular immunity benefit to catching seasonal flu. Other "little" bugs and infections though, definitely. I haven't had so much as a sniffle in 2020. That said, the kids have had a couple of minor colds each (youngest is slightly blocked up right now actually) so the world clearly isn't quite a sterile environment yet.

Biggest concern would be babies/toddlers who are just starting to build their immune systems... you really do want a young child to encounter minor "easily fought" pathogens early to spark their natural immunity.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

we are 15 days into winter..

Winter doesn’t officially start until the 21st.

[Vicky.]

Covid appears to have eradicated the flu, brilliant news

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Redway

Winter doesn’t officially start until the 21st.

incorrect you are referring to Astronomy and not weather, weather occurs in the few miles above your head and not in space

its an easy mistake to make however