Jan. 5, 2021 – In years without a pandemic, the influenza (flu) season would be ramping up right now. By the end of January, widespread influenza would be reported from almost every state. The pandemic has changed everything, including the spread of seasonal flu. For the week ending Dec. 26, 2020, flu cases were lower than normal.

“Seasonal influenza activity in the United States remains lower than usual for this time of year,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. In an average year, there are from 30,000 to 50,000 deaths from flu and its complications, usually pneumonia.

But COVID-19 cases are rising.

The CDC said: “COVID-19 cases and deaths are rising across the United States. We all must remain vigilant. The changes we have had to make to routines and daily life are extremely hard, but these changes are even more important now and in the future. We must stop the spread of this new and dangerous virus. The more steps you and your family can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the safer you will be.”

Since Jan. 21, 2020, there have been 20,558,489 cases of COVID-19 and 350,664 deaths, according to the CDC.

Influenza virus
The six weeks after the holidays are usually peak time for influenza cases. In normal years, millions of people travel to visit family and friends over the holidays bringing with them gifts and sometimes, contagious respiratory viruses. The main way respiratory viruses are spread is through droplets in the air. When a person coughs or sneezes into the air, millions of viruses are released if they have been infected with pathogenic viruses. It’s easy to understand how rapidly viruses can spread person-to-person when so many people are on the move. Covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing is very important so viruses are not released into the air.

This year is totally different. Although many people did travel, gatherings had fewer people attend and with an increased awareness of how respiratory diseases are spread, many people wore masks and practiced social distancing. All of these actions, in addition to washing hands frequently, helped slow the spread of germs, bacteria and viruses.

According to CDC’s FluView, in the last week of 2020, 25,148 specimens were tested by clinical labs for influenza viruses. There were 74 positive results. And in the last week of 2020, public health labs tested 11,805 specimens with two testing positive for influenza viruses.

CDC: COVID-19

Many people are worried about new reports of COVID variants. These variants are mutations of the COVID-19 virus. On Dec. 30, 2020, the CDC explained the variants at a press conference. The following is an excerpt from that press conference.

The person speaking is Dr. Henry Walke, CDC’s COVID-19 incident response manager.

“The first variant was identified in the UK [United Kingdom] and has likely been circulating there since September of 2020, especially in London and southeast England. The second variant was first identified in South Africa and has been circulating there since October of 2020. This second variant developed independently of the first variant. Both variants have been detected in other countries.
“Yesterday, public health officials in Colorado detected the variant that was first identified in the UK in a person who reported no travel history. The lack of travel history suggests that this variant has been transmitted from person-to-person in the United States. The arrival of this variant in the United States was expected considering how widespread it is in the UK and how frequently people travel between the U.S. and the UK.
“The evidence to date indicated that both newly emerging variants spread more easily and quickly than other strains. However, there is, again, NO EVIDENCE [emphasis added] that these variants cause more severe disease or increase risk of death. Because the variants spread more rapidly, they could lead to more cases and put even more strain on our heavily burdened health care systems.
“Viruses constantly change through mutation. We expect to see new variants emerge over time. Many mutations lead to variants that don’t change how the virus infects people. Sometimes, however, variants emerge that can spread more rapidly, like these.
“Based on our present knowledge, experts believe our current vaccines will be effective against these strains.”

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What months are normally peak time for influenza infections?

2. What is the status of inflkuenza infections as of early January 2021?

3. What is the status of COVID-19 infections as of early January 2021?

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. How are influenza viruses and COVID-19 viruses similar?

2. From the map in the story, what states have the most number of COVID-19 cases now? To view a larger map, visit the CDC.

3. What is a virus variant?

4. What is important to know about the two COVID-19 variants?