The reduction in influenza rates in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Anna Sabu-Kurian BS, Kripa Shrestha MBBS, MPH, MS, Sharmila Dissanaike MD, FACS, FCCM

ABSTRACT

Influenza affects many lives worldwide each year during the months of October through February. The 2020–2021 influenza season saw a sharp decline in the cases reported in the United States and in other countries like Great Britain in comparison to previous influenza seasons. The most likely explanations for this decline are the safety measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as physical distancing, face mask use, and better hand hygiene in the mass population, which likely reduced the transmission and infection rates of influenza this season.

Keywords: influenza, surveillance, pandemic, transmission

Article citation: Sabu-Kurian A, Shrestha K, Dissanaike S.
The reduction in influenza rates in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles 2021;9(39):22–24
From: Department of Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas
Submitted: 1/29/2021
Accepted: 2/21/2021
Reviewer: Gilbert Berdine MD
Conflicts of interest: none
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share A like 4.0 International License.