Where has the influenza gone?

March 4, 2025

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I have seen a number of people commenting about how odd it is that since the arrival of Covid-19, that influenza cases seem to literally have disappeared. A lot of these comments seemed to suggest that the disappearance was somewhat conspiratorial and that possibly what was being classified as Covid-19 was actually influenza.

After a bit of researching, I find that the disappearance of Influenza is actually a legitimate event and that there is good reason for it. A big part of this is that influenza virus is much less contagious than the Coronavirus SARS-Co2. For this reason, any effort that was made to reduce exposure from Coronavirus is going to actually be more effective against the influenza virus. Because of Coronavirus, people started avoiding public places, wearing masks for protection, avoiding things such as shaking hands, keeping a greater distance than before, and increased hand washing. All of these things that were intended to reduce the spread of Covid-19, have actually helped to reduce the spread of many other illnesses.

A scientific review reported: “influenza rates fell after COVID-19: Circulation of influenza dropped after social distancing measures were implemented in the U.S., according to an MMWR study. From September 2019 to February 2020, 19% of respiratory specimens tested were positive for influenza. That figure dropped 98% to 0.33% in March to mid-May, after communities took measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.” From: https://www.jwatch.org/fw117046/2020/09/17/covid-19-intranasal-povidone-iodine-drop-flu-vaccine

So, even if the intended effect on Covid-19 was not as controlling as we would like, it definitely has been a good improvement in reducing other illness.

For fighting Covid-19, do not forget that having higher than normal levels of vitamin D3 is of significant importance, not only for reducing mortality but for reducing the risk of hospitalization. A sufficiently high level of vitamin D is probably more effective in fighting Covid-19 than all the measures above and is likely to be better than any vaccine that they may produce.

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