NEW YORK – February is usually the peak of the flu season, with doctors’ offices and hospitals full of suffering patients. But not this year.
The flu has virtually disappeared from the United States, with reports appearing at much lower levels than anything seen in decades.
Experts say the measures taken to remove the coronavirus – wearing a mask, social distancing and virtual schooling – have been an important factor in preventing a “twindemic” of the flu and COVID-19. An impetus to get more people vaccinated against the flu has probably helped as well, as have fewer people traveling, they say.
Another possible explanation: the coronavirus essentially has muscle aside from the flu and other bugs that are more common in the fall and winter. Scientists do not fully understand the mechanism behind this, but it would be consistent with patterns observed when certain flu strains predominate over others, said Dr. Arnold Monto, an influenza expert at the University of Michigan.
Nationally, “this is the lowest flu season we’ve had,” according to a 25-year-old surveillance system, said Lynnette Brammer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.