Re:Flu has disappeared worldwide during the Covid pandemic
by jjeaff on Thursday April 29, 2021 @09:53PM
(#26989066)
That extrapolation only works if the flu is equally as contagious as covid and also has identical methods of transmission (for example, it may be that covid transmits through the air more readily than the flu). But we know that covid is actually quite a bit more contagious, so you can't really make a linear extrapolation like that.
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Re:Flu has disappeared worldwide during the Covid pandemic
by darkerside on Thursday April 29, 2021 @11:54PM
(#26989690)
If it's more contagious, would you assume social distancing would have a greater or lesser effect? It's not clear to me either way.
Other answers on here have convinced me however that 50M is not a reasonable number.
Re:Flu has disappeared worldwide during the Covid pandemic
by jjeaff on Friday April 30, 2021 @11:20PM
(#27002732)
All else being equal, mitigation efforts are going to have less effect on the more contagious disease. 6 feet social distance with a mask might be plenty to nearly eradicate the flu while it only somewhat reduces covid. Washing your hands frequently may have a very profound effect on the flu but very little effect on covid since it seems to transmit more through the air.