The real reason flu cases are falling - Maybe
Via Unherd
A strange little conspiracy theory is going around in parts of the internet. They’ve noticed that flu cases are way down — a September paper from the US CDC reckons by 90%, while this piece makes an (unsourced) claim of 98%. And they have decided that this is because flu cases are being misdiagnosed as Covid. The ur-conspiracist David Icke himself is on board with this one.
To be clear: it’s not true. It is inconsistent with how flu and Covid cases are counted, and there is a much simpler explanation, which is that the measures we’ve taken to counter Covid are also effective against other respiratory diseases. But it has got quite a few people talking about it, and some of the tweets about it are doing fairly big numbers.
Here’s why it’s not true. First, the prevalence of Covid — in the UK, at least — is estimated using tests which look for the presence of RNA from the SARS-Cov2 virus. . . .
Similarly, flu prevalence is estimated by taking laboratory-confirmed cases and extrapolating from that to provide an estimate of the total in the population. The two are entirely different kinds of virus — SARS-Cov2 is a coronavirus, flu an influenzavirus — and there just isn’t a way that a test for one could be triggered by the presence of the other. The CDC estimate, mentioned in the first paragraph, is based on positive laboratory tests. That would not be affected by how many Covid tests had come back positive. . . . .
There may be other things going on, but I think (as does the CDC) that is the likeliest explanation. It’s just not plausible that people are counting flu cases as Covid. ..... Full Article By Tom Chivers @ Unherd
If flu deaths were counted like COVID-19 deaths
The U.S. now has more than 63,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, and most experts say that's almost certainly an undercount. Still, if you compare that number to the 2017-18 flu season, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates killed 61,000 people, it looks like COVID-19 might be similar to a bad flu — President Trump has made this point, as have many conservative media personalities. But the data so far show that this new coronavirus is much more lethal than the flu, and Dr. Jeremy Samuel Faust has an explanation. Read More @ Yahoo News
Similarities and Differences between Flu and COVID-19
Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.
There are some key differences between flu and COVID-19. COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer. Another important difference is there is a vaccine to protect against flu. There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. More information about differences between flu and COVID-19 is available in the different sections below.
Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis. Flu and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two. . .Center for Disease Control - CDC
Birx says government is classifying all deaths of patients with coronavirus as 'COVID-19' deaths, regardless of cause
The federal government is classifying the deaths of patients infected with the coronavirus as COVID-19 deaths, regardless of any underlying health issues that could have contributed to the loss of someone's life.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, said the federal government is continuing to count the suspected COVID-19 deaths, despite other nations doing the opposite.
"There are other countries that if you had a pre-existing condition, and let's say the virus caused you to go to the ICU [intensive care unit] and then have a heart or kidney problem," she said during a Tuesday news briefing at the White House. "Some countries are recording that as a heart issue or a kidney issue and not a COVID-19 death.
"The intent is ... if someone dies with COVID-19 we are counting that," she added.
Asked whether the numbers could skew data the government is trying to collect, Birx said that would mostly apply more to rural areas where testing isn't being implemented on a wide scale.
"I'm pretty confident that in New York City and New Jersey and places that have these large outbreaks and COVID-only hospitals. ... I can tell you they are testing," she said.
Dr. Michael Baden, a Fox News contributor, said it's reasonable to include the death of someone infected with the virus, who also had other health issues, in the COVID-19 body count. . . Read More @ Fox News