Dumaguete Info Search


Flu Hospitalizations 2020

Discussion in 'COVID-19' started by Rye83, Feb 19, 2021.

  1. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

    Messages:
    13,106
    Trophy Points:
    451
    Occupation:
    FIRE
    Location:
    Valencia
    Ratings:
    +16,069 / 3,795
    Blood Type:
    O+
    I just saw a report that there were only 165 flu hospitalizations in the US for 2020. Down from 400,000+ from the year before. And they only took 30 seconds to deliver this astounding bit of information. I had to rewind it a few times to make sure I heard right.

    CDC website confirms these numbers.
    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

    The news report I saw attributed this to wearing masks and social distancing then cut to commercial.

    Congratulations are in order, we are on the way to eradicating the flu. 400,000+ hospitalizations down to 165 in less than a year, f'n amazing!!! :meh:
     
    • Informative Informative x 3
  2. jim787

    jim787 DI Senior Member

    Messages:
    556
    Trophy Points:
    225
    Ratings:
    +434 / 38
    In your eagerness, you have misread. Here is the actual report: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm?utm_source=DI&utm_medium=referral#S6
    That's 165 if you start counting October 1, the beginning of "flu season". Here is the quote: "A total of 165 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations occurring between October 1, 2020, and February 6, 2021, were reported by FluSurv-NET sites for an overall cumulative hospitalization rate of 0.6 per 100,000 population. This is lower than average for this point in the season and lower than rates for any season since routine data collection began in 2005, including the low severity 2011-12 season. Hospitalization rates stratified by age will be presented once case counts increase to a level that produces stable rates by age."

    Covid patients get the hospital beds, because covid is many times more lethal than influenza. In the emergency room this is called triage.

    Now, you are actually citing a new report, without identifying the source. What was your source?
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  3. OP
    OP
    Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

    Messages:
    13,106
    Trophy Points:
    451
    Occupation:
    FIRE
    Location:
    Valencia
    Ratings:
    +16,069 / 3,795
    Blood Type:
    O+
    It was on the television but there is plenty online.

    https://nypost.com/2021/02/17/flu-hospitalizations-at-historic-low-this-season-amid-covid/amp/#aoh=16137129646184&amp_ct=1613712968168&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s



    https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22272237/flu-cases-down-historic-what-does-it-mean

    https://www.today.com/health/flu-season-2020-2021-flu-activity-historic-lows-mask-wearing-t207131

    https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/d...mains-surprisingly-low-amid-covid-19-pandemic

    Did I cover all the political biases with the news outlets? Everyone seems to agree the flu has basically disappeared. We should celebrate.
     
  4. jim787

    jim787 DI Senior Member

    Messages:
    556
    Trophy Points:
    225
    Ratings:
    +434 / 38
    Perhaps I misunderstood the thrust of your argument. I thought it was the old saw, "Covid numbers are not so large, they [dishonest doctors] are counting flu cases as covid." The Dump actually made this claim.
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  5. OP
    OP
    Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

    Messages:
    13,106
    Trophy Points:
    451
    Occupation:
    FIRE
    Location:
    Valencia
    Ratings:
    +16,069 / 3,795
    Blood Type:
    O+
    There was no argument made by me, only heaps of sarcasm and disbelief.

    I don't believe the flu has been eradicated or severely reduced. I believe tons of flu cases have been misdiagnosed but I also believe there are tons of covid cases. They spread in the same way. You can't say that masks and social distancing have been strictly followed resulting in reduced flu spread while at the same time say that masks and social distancing haven't been followed that resulted in the spread in covid. Schools haven't been closed in all states, my parents are teachers and are still in school. Those states should see absolutely no change flu hospitalizations, yet that is exactly what is being reported. As usual, the media is complete garbage and raises far more questions than they ever answer.
     
  6. jim787

    jim787 DI Senior Member

    Messages:
    556
    Trophy Points:
    225
    Ratings:
    +434 / 38
    I cannot disagree with any of this. But that does not compel me to agree. Hospitalization is a poor metric. It requires a doctor to refer, and a bed to be available. Meanwhile, ambulances containing possible covid patients are parked against the wall outside, waiting for a doctor and a bed. This is still the case in Los Angeles. Probably you are correct, the statistics are garbage.

    Kudos to your parents.
     
  7. Notmyrealname

    Notmyrealname DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer

    Messages:
    4,920
    Trophy Points:
    386
    Ratings:
    +5,591 / 2,888
    I agree that there seems no rational explanation for the lack of flu other than misdiagnosis. I read today that headache and chills are now considered Covid symptoms - just what you experience with flu.

    It would be interesting to see antibody studies for Covid-19 and flu and see how that matches symptom diagnoses.

    But, on the positive side, I now understand that Peter, Paul and Mary song (written by Pete Seegar): 'Where have all the fluers gone?' It was a puzzle to me at the time.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. cabb

    cabb DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster ✤Forum Sponsor✤

    Messages:
    1,430
    Trophy Points:
    341
    Ratings:
    +1,106 / 241
    From the link in the first post. Sounds like social distancing also helps with the Flu spread too, not so surprising. As usual the devil is in the details. It is a good year for the flu (good meaning less flu), but there have been other seasons that were almost as good.

    Screen Shot 2021-02-19 at 6.54.33 AM.png

    When compared to Covid, a huge difference.

    Screen Shot 2021-02-19 at 6.55.49 AM.png

    The covid deaths were significant enough to drop life expectancy by 1-2 years in the US. I call that pretty significant.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2021
  9. Always a Poppy

    Always a Poppy DI Senior Member Restricted Account

    Messages:
    658
    Trophy Points:
    166
    Location:
    Philippines
    Ratings:
    +828 / 142
    • Informative Informative x 1
Loading...