Fears of 'Twindemic' Recede as U.S. Influenza Rates Stay Low

With hospitals across the United States swamped with COVID-19, the minimal presence of flu cases is seen as a positive development, reports The Guardian . Vanderbilt University Professor William Schaffner said "we're having, to date, a profoundly mild influenza season." This is a blessing, as a mild to average flu season in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic would be catastrophic to the already strained U.S. healthcare system. Public health experts think measures in the southern hemisphere to prevent the spread of COVID-19 also helped curtail the spread of the flu. The flu is not as transmissible as the coronavirus, so mask-wearing and social distancing more effectively contain flu spread than that of COVID-19. The low number of cases, combined with reduced travel between the northern and southern hemisphere, helped mitigate the flu season in the northern U.S. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 192 million doses of flu shots were distributed throughout the U.S. by the end of December, the highest number distributed in a single flu season. Schaffner added that schools undertaking measures to prevent COVID-19's spread — like virtual classes — also probably made an extensive contribution to stopping the flu's spread.