More from News for Nerds - Influenza still waning

Structure of the influenza virus - The flu virus is an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus. The core nucleoproteins are used to distinguish the 3 types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. Influenza A causes most human and all avian influenza infections. The RNA core consists of 8 gene segments surrounded by a coat of 10 (influenza A) or 11 (influenza B) proteins. Immunologically, the most significant surface proteins include hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). Subclassification of influenza A occurs on the basis of H and N proteins.

Flu Has Disappeared Worldwide During the COVID Pandemic (scientificamerican.com)266

Posted by BeauHD on Thursday April 29, 2021 @11:30PM from the effective-public-health-measures dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American:Since the novel coronavirus began its global spread, influenza cases reported to the World Health Organization have dropped to minuscule levels. The reason, epidemiologists think, is that the public health measures taken to keep the coronavirus from spreading also stop the flu. Influenza viruses are transmitted in much the same way as SARS-CoV-2, but they are less effective at jumping from host to host. As Scientific American reported last fall, the drop-off in flu numbers was both swift and universal. Since then, cases have stayed remarkably low. "There's just no flu circulating," says Greg Poland, who has studied the disease at the Mayo Clinic for decades. The U.S. saw about 600 deaths from influenza during the 2020-2021 flu season. In comparison, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated there were roughly 22,000 deaths in the prior season and 34,000 two seasons ago.

Because each year's flu vaccine is based on strains that have been circulating during the past year, it is unclear how next year's vaccine will fare, should the typical patterns of the disease return. [...] Public health experts are grateful for the reprieve. Some are also worried about a lost immune response, however. If influenza subsides for several years, today's toddlers could miss a chance to have an early-age response imprinted on their immune system. That could be good or bad, depending on what strains circulate during the rest of their life. For now, future flu transmission remains a roll of the dice.

Comments

[Liz Hinds]

Keeping away from everyone has meant we've been remarkably healthy for the last year. It makes sense that flu numbers are down.

[Joared]

I’ve wondered if somehow a new vaccine could be created that would address the flu as well as the corona virus for future injections if possible relationships. All too complex, I suppose.

My thoughts with you, HH and family as you travel life’s road ahead.

[Cop Car]

Thank you, Joared. We've only just begun.

I'm thinking that we could save a lot of lives from infectious diseases of all sorts if, once each year, the whole world held a 2-week lockdown. Not apt to gain favor, but just think of the savings of lives and savings on healthcare costs.

[bogie]

So everyone has to use their vacation time from work to be stuck at home during the lock-down? I'm guessing that would not go over well with most people :).

Even if people get more than two weeks worth of vacation time, some of us struggle to use it. I used to lose "Use-it-or-lose-it" time all the time. Not for lack of trying to use it.

[Cop Car]

Bogie--As I wrote, "Not apt to gain favor...." I would like an economist to deny/confirm my gut feeling that healthcare costs, as well as lives, would be saved. Perhaps someone will come up with those numbers for their PhD dissertation.

Use it or lose it can be a problem.