Peak flu season is behind us – what it means for the pandemic
Bottom Line: It is potentially great news for having turned the corner during the pandemic. According to CDC data, the peak day for flu season is February 15th. Despite the unfounded hype of a “twindemic” and other related stories prior to the start of flu season in September, it never really materialized. By it, I’m talking about the traditional flu season. That’s because COVID-19 is spread the same ways the traditional flu is, however, it’s 2.5 times less contagious than the original COVID strain and 3.9 times less contagious than the variants. Simply put, if someone is going to spread a virus, it’s 3-4 times more likely to be COVID than the flu. Plus, we’ve never worn masks or social distanced during flu season either. For that reason, this season is shaping up to be the most benign in recorded American history.
According to the CDC’s most recent Flu map we have a first as we entered the peak of the traditional flu season. The presence of the traditional flu, the H1N1 virus, is “minimal” in every state and territory. Moreover, the presence of the flu is only regarded as “sporadic” and the trend is stable. Within Florida specifically, the flu has only been diagnosed in 30 of Florida’s 67 counties and its activity is “mild” or the lowest possible CDC ranking in those 30 counties (which includes all South Florida counties). Of course, COVID has taken its place this year. In fact, it’s possible COVID-19 is the new seasonal flu just as the cause of the 1918 pandemic, H1N1, became the seasonal flu for at least the next 102 years. I’ve talked about the possibility since prior to the onset of the flu season. What crossing the peak threshold for flu season has proved is instructive however...
Earlier this week we had our fewest daily number of new cases since October. Our weekly trend for cases is now the lowest since prior to the week of Thanksgiving. What we’ve seen is that once again news media and “health experts” alike falsely hyped the Super Bowl in Tampa as a “super-spreader” event and that we’ve likely put the worst of the pandemic behind us in Florida. Now how can I make that claim as being a likelihood? Facts and logic. The same two things I’ve used since day one in this pandemic. And if you doubt my facts and logic, go back and check my reporting over the past year on the pandemic. Then compare it to whatever other news source you’d like. The facts and my record speak for themselves.
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