I predict a dramatic decrease in deaths from the flu

[intrepidity]

All this hand-washing and other precautions to prevent Covid-19 will almost certainly result in a significant decrease in regular flu infections.

How could it not? Hopefully, the habits people acquire now will be sustained. We'll know the numbers by year end.

[rzemanfl]

1. We will never know unless they get testing moving. n/t

[intrepidity]

4. I mean influenza flu nt

[SWBTATTReg]

2. I think if anything, it'll slow down the spread at a minimum, but it will still spread, being that..

I don't think it's really hit home yet. Once it does, ...

[zipplewrath]

3. It did already

I can remember which Pacific Rim country it was but they did see a significant drop in influenza which they attributed to the safety steps being taken.

[intrepidity]

5. Not surprised nt

[frazzled]

6. We need to keep up the hand washing after this pandemic (hopefully) passes.

But not so sure that we should be using all these disinfectants after it is over. Remember the threat of superbugs and antibiotic resistance stemming from use of antibacterial products. Bleach products okay, I think ( I've used Clorox spray to clean my bathrooms for many years anyway.)

[intrepidity]

9. Viruses cannot resist alcohol or bleach

Agents that work by physically destroying the germ are fundamentally different than agents that, for example, interfere in a metabolic process (as many antibiotics and antivirals do)

[Quixote1818]

7. Was thinking this too. nt

[Tanuki]

8. The flu rate went down dramatically in Japan this year

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/02/508f8e9b5f0b-influenza-wave-drastically-wanes-in-japan-amid-new-coronavirus-spread.html

"A wave of influenza has been significantly waning in Japan compared with the previous year, government data showed, as many people have become wary of infection with a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus raging in China.

For the week through Feb. 9, the number of reported influenza cases plunged more than 60 percent from a year earlier to 44,737, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. During the same period last year, 129,989 cases were reported.

The health ministry also said the number of schools that were forced to close classes against a backdrop of an influenza outbreak was 1,760 for seven days from Feb. 3, sharply down from 3,204 compared with the same week in 2019."

[marlakay]

10. We are going through my hand wash fast

I get it on regular monthly program from amazon, i clicked to order more and its out. I guess i should have bought bar soap, lasts longer.

[kurtcagle]

11. We're past peak flu season at this point

but yes, new flu cases will drop. Problem is that the coronavirus will likely just cannabalize those "saved" deaths.

Most people have immunity from the various flus that are floating around at any given point, so, except for those whose immune systems are compromised or who are already very old, the flu has comparatively little effect. Covid-19, however, is novel, not very many people have built up immunity to it yet, and there are signs that it is harder for the body to build effective antibodies than it is with influenza. This means that people who might have succumbed to the flu are going to be hit by Covid-19 first, which is far more fatal. The net effect is that fewer people die from the flu because they're already dead from Covid-19.

The only real silver lining to this is that once a vaccine is found, covid may end up driving other flu viruses to extinction, so it may be a few years before we have to deal with a problem like this again.

[defacto7]

12. Makes sense.