This is in response to an article in today’s Washington Post, about the unusual nature of the 2021-22 season for flu and other respiratory viruses.
It is of course a) based on anecdotes (at one point, last month, one hospital saw …), b) relies on a handful of quotes, and c) ignores any systematic data on the relevant issues.
Basically, the thrust of the issue is that there’s now some huge problem with flu and other respiratory viruses, caused by COVID. Which all the COVID deniers then immediately assume “cause by our response to COVID”.
What the Post completely, totally, and utterly fails to mention is that the 2021-22 flu season has been incredibly mild by historical standards. Just by way of illustration here’s cumulative hospitalizations for flu, 2021-22 versus the last fully-normal flu season (2018-19):
Source: CDC Fluview.
By eye, looks like flu hospitalizations for this most recent season were about one-fifth the normal level.
In other words, this flu season isn’t some sort of man-made disaster. It’s not some sort of natural disaster. Fact is, under no stretch of the imagination can you consider it a disaster.
But looming disaster is the gist of the Post article. And the gist of most of the comments. In the end, since there’s nothing actionable about the article, all it does is feed the trolls.
All of which could have been avoided if the Post had started with this one simple fact first. But then it wouldn’t have been such wonderful click-bait.
The seasonal pattern of flu has been disrupted this year. Normally — again from CDC — about 1.5% of all hospital OPD visits would be for influenza-like illness at this time of year. But this year, it’s now 2.5%. That’s interesting, I’m pretty sure that passes any measures of being statistically significantly different from the average prior year. But that’s all it is.
