- Flu season has been mild this year, thanks to the mitigation measures used to contain COVID-19, such as physical distancing and mask wearing.
- School and office closures also contributed to the unusually inactive flu season.
- The mitigation measures curbed influenza activity even though COVID-19 surged.
Last summer, infectious disease specialists warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could spiral into a “twindemic” when seasonal influenza hit.
But that nightmare scenario never unfolded. The flu didn’t get a strong footing in the United States this season and a twindemic never struck.
COVID-19 is likely far more contagious than the flu.
Because the virus that causes seasonal influenza spreads via respiratory droplets, the safety precautions used to prevent COVID-19, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, also helped cut down flu activity.
Source: healthline