Good news: There's been almost no flu in Snohomish County

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

EVERETT — And now for some good news in the winter of virus mayhem.

The flu season has pretty much been canceled this year.

“We were in the middle of the flu season a year ago,” said Dr. Yuan-Po Tu, infectious disease specialist at The Everett Clinic. “There is just literally no activity right now. It’s what we’re seeing through the entire state and the U.S.”

Tu said Snohomish County had four cases of influenza last fall, with zero flu activity since.

Last season, 11 people died from the flu in Snohomish County and 114 in the state. Most were seniors with underlying medical conditions. There have been no flu deaths in Washington reported for this 2020-21 season, which runs fall through spring.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/good-news-theres-been-almost-no-flu-in-snohomish-county/

Basically it looks like masks, social distancing and other practices designed to slow the spread of COVID have also slowed the spread of influenza.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. There was no flu season to speak of in the Southern Hemisphere

six months ago.

The real reason is that travel to and from China, the world's influenza source, has been greatly reduced. Yeah, masks and social distancing might help, but the flu just didn't get a chance to spread from China in the first place.