CM11 wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 9:24 am
Enzedder wrote: Mon Sep 07, 2020 8:37 am
Just about - normally tailing off by now.
There was a strong push for flu vaccinations this year (we ran out and had to use some prepared for last years NH season so not as effective.
I think it's the other covid precautions that has had this additional benefit but the Health Ministry did say that their aim was a reduction in flu to help the hospitals cope with covid. Neither really happened which was great
You'd think a reduction in movement of people would reduce the number of new flu strains too? And the number of seeds must be quite low everywhere for flu.
This is where influenza viruses are very different to coronaviruses.
Influenza viruses mutate pretty rapidly; so even if the spread is reduced, mutation is inevitible. At the same time, some of last years flu vaccine may be at least partially effective against this years circulation.
Because the virus mutates during the year, it;s possible the the vaccine under development and manufacture may not even be suitable for what we've ended up with.
At the same time, social distancing should have a massive impact on influenza transmission this year; however, the horror scenario is where a person gets infected with both influenza and Covid19. Even if that were to happen separately it's likely the outcome would be poor; if infected together the outcome could be close to 100% lethal. You can easily imagine what might happen in a care home for instance.
So it;s critical to get a large proportion of the population inoculated against influenza so as to minimise the possibility of mass influenza transmission during a possible "second wave" - you can easily see situations where asymptomatic Covid19 in a young and fit 20 year old could become extremely symptomatic.
