Seasonal influenza, usually rampant at this time of year, has almost disappeared. That is according to the latest data from the World Health Organization, which at the end of 2020 was recording a tiny fraction of the usual number of positive influenza samples. The global numbers are stunning, but perhaps unsurprising given that similar results were being found in Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia in the middle of last year.
It's not hard to work out why flu season has been so much milder; social distancing, mask wearing, hand sanitizing and all of the other COVID prevention measures that we've adapted to in the last 12 months appear to be minimizing the spread of flu.
Although unlikely to take priority for a while, the key question scientists will need to unravel is: which of the measures have been most effective, and can we use all that we've learned from COVID to help minimize the impact of flu — which itself kills thousands every year — in the future.
