Cases of the flu are down dramatically from previous years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. | stock photo
Cases of the flu are down dramatically from previous years, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. | stock photo
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one unexpected side effect of the outbreak is the reduction of influenza cases within the past year.
During the last week of February, Michigan recorded 488 cases of the flu in 2020, 284 cases in 2019 and 536 cases in 2018, according to Bridge Michigan. The total cases at the same point in 2021 is four.
The surprises concerning the flu this winter don't stop there. Only seven adults have been hospitalized for the flu since Oct. 1. Just 11 people out of over 7,700 patient visits (0.1% of visits) exhibited flu-like symptoms, a rate that pales in comparison to the 4% rate of 2020, 2.2% in 2019, and 5.6% in 2018, reports Bridge Michigan. Through the precautions taken to combat COVID-19 -- wearing face masks, handwashing and social distancing -- the spread of the flu and other respiratory diseases has plummeted this winter.
Macomb County Health Department health officer Andrew Cox told Bridge Michigan, “You try to look at the positives, the silver lining, of COVID, and you’ve seen some creativity in service delivery models.”
Another component that has significantly contributed to the drop in respiratory disease transmission has been the sharp decline in world travel on planes and cruises. Domestic and international travel plummeted by 60% in 2020 as a result of the various lockdowns enforced during the waves of coronavirus outbreak.
Dr. Josh Petrie, a researcher at the Michigan Influenza Center at the University of Michigan, told Bridge Michigan, “I think it’s a fairly safe assumption that these [factors] are all COVID-related. The exact factors of how it happened, we’re still figuring that out.” One drawback of the low number of flu cases this past winter is that it will make matching a vaccine for next year’s flu strain more difficult, according to Petrie.
With the lessons we have learned from this pandemic, perhaps the habits of masking and social distancing will continue beyond the coronavirus outbreak -- and could help keep Michigan residents safe in the future.
Alerts Sign-up