More than a year after the pandemic, Covid-19 is at the center of discussions by public health experts, though scientists are warning of a virus with a serious threat: the flu.
According to reports in the US, this season, the flu almost disappeared and only 2,000 cases were confirmed in the US laboratory according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a typical flu season, the US reported more than 200,000 cases at this time of year, while the actual number of cases is estimated to range from 9 million to 45 million cases per year.
The drop in the number of flu cases is not uncommon. As previously reported, anti-Covid measures, such as wearing a mask and social distance, have been effective in preventing the transmission of influenza. However, Dr. Andy Pekosz, professor of microbiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told NBC News that a year without the flu could lead to a year with more flu.
"We have spent a year without a significant part of the population becoming infected with the flu and gaining immunity due to the infection. "It could mean that people susceptible to the flu will increase," he said.