Posted on 01/02/2021 8:45:05 AM PST by Hojczyk
Epidemiologist Knut Wittkowski thinks he can answer the riddle.
"Influenza has been renamed COVID in large part," said the former head of biostatistics, epidemiology and research design at Rockefeller University.
"There may be quite a number of influenza cases included in the 'presumed COVID' category of people who have COVID symptoms (which Influenza symptoms can be mistaken for), but are not tested for SARS RNA," Wittkowski told Just the News on Thursday.
Those patients, he argued, "also may have some SARS RNA sitting in their nose while being infected with Influenza, in which case the influenza would be 'confirmed' to be COVID."
Holden Maecker, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University, echoed that assessment. "I feel pretty confident that the COVID-19 mitigation measures have caused the reduction in flu cases this year," he said. "Masks, social distancing, and hand washing are all effective counter-measures against colds and flu."
Speculating on why COVID levels have continued to soar if those measures have been so effective at stopping the flu, Maecker said: "I think it's because (1) there is less pre-existing immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in the population, whereas most of us have had vaccines and/or previous bouts with flu; and (2) the SARS-CoV-2 virus seems to spread more easily than influenza, including more aerosol transmission and 'super-spreader' events. Flu transmission is almost entirely close-range droplets and hand-to-nose or eyes contact."
(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...
Influenza has a much lower transmission rate than covid19. Of course cases will greatly decline versus previous years with so many gatherings worldwide shut down. You can’t deny that big groups of people spread virus.
There are distinct tests for flu and covid19. It is very easy to figure out if a patient has one (or even both). In MOST cases.
Medicine is never 100%, mistakes happen and we can often find a few rare cases that contradict nearly anything we’ve learned. This does not mean we have a global conspiracy by nearly every medical professional on earth...
I know someone that got tested for Covid - negative.
2 days later he got a flu shot..
Next day got tested again for Covid - positive.
Testing is a fraud.
I sincerely thank you for continuing to share your knowledge and experience here and sometimes putting up with people who do not seem to appreciate your posts.
A few months ago my neighbors got really sick and they certain that they had Covid. They went to their doctor but Covid tests were not available in this area. So they got flu tests instead and not surprisingly they tested positive for the flu. They said to me, “Thank God we tested positive for the flu and didn't have Covid. If we had Covid we might have died.”
I replied that pneumonia associated with the flu kills a lot of people in their age group every year. I added that just because they tested positive for the flu that this did not men that they would not have also tested positive for Covid if the tests had been available. They replied that this was impossible that you could only have one or the other...
Of course it is not only possible, people's immune systems are relied on to fight off multiple pathogens every day. That is how our systems work. My wife who is a retired nurse and department head... after losing dozens of residents multiple times during her career during flu season at various facilities came to believe that making sure that flu shots were made available to the residents and patients was one of the most important things she could do to keep them safe.
My sister was in a serious car accident the day before yesterday. The first thing they did when she arrived at the hospital was not to give her a Covid test. People are now required get Covid tests when they want to fly somewhere and many are now required to get them to get a job. Everyone with flu symptoms is now being tested for Covid and not necessarily for the flu.
I know two people who became ill this year whose illnesses progressed into pneumonia. They were both fanatical mask wearers who were scared to death of getting Covid. They were both tested for Covid multiple times and the tests came back negative. They were each so relieved with the negative Covid tests. Unfortunately, one of them died.
Well, according to our goobermint, Flu is down 98%.
Yep. Stopped wearing a mask in mid-November. Been kicked out of grocery stores 4 times since then but otherwise haven’t had any issues and I’m still COVID free.
“The first thing they did when she arrived at the hospital was not to give her a Covid test”
I am sorry I had a typo there... They gave her a test for Covid as soon as she arrived at the hospital.
Fauzi will recommend that we remain masked forever and the permanent shutdown of sit in dining and small retail businesses to prevent the flu. Now that they see they can herd the sheep with minimal pushback, thanks to a corrupt media and complicit politicians, they will push for indefinite control.
wait, what ? Flubros win?
Actually, in parts of WA State, they are no longer testing for influenza. The labs are too busy processing Covid-19 cases and test.
Kind of hard to imagine 9 nuns in one convent dying of flu.
“Fauzi will recommend that we remain masked forever and the permanent shutdown of sit in dining and small retail businesses to prevent the flu. Now that they see they can herd the sheep with minimal pushback, thanks to a corrupt media and complicit politicians, they will push for indefinite control.”
My tagline agrees with you!
I was watching a law and order marathon, and in an episode from the’90’s, they are investigating the murder of a woman with a vial of covid virus in her trunk.
It was covid back in the’90’s...
In other words, the flu
And which parts are those? Who told you that?
“I am sorry I had a typo there... They gave her a test for Covid as soon as she arrived at the hospital.”
Is this the SOP protocol in many hospitals?
Thanks as usual.
Right you are. Covid-19 is pure B$....and it’s getting piled higher and deeper.
I routinely test for both in ICU when I have someone with ARDS
Thus far only one or the other comes back positive except jn one case where there was the trifecta. I will clearly say I am surprised at the low amount of influenza as very few influenza tests are coming back positive. Just like last year at this tine
I can’t help but wonder if there is some bizarre competitive advantage Covid has over influenza
“I can’t help but wonder if there is some bizarre competitive advantage Covid has over influenza.”
Maybe some simple things on our side, like better hand washing, the 6’ thing as Biden would say, which eliminates the standard influenza. Our HMO not allowing you in their hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmacy and ??? if you have any temp.
Or maybe this year’s flu shot worked and set up an effective herd %.
For many of us, our flu shots came early in the fall, not mid-late November or post Thanksgiving!
I will ask a couple of my former co-workers. They seem to be universlly disgusted by the current situation and very willing to share their observations. I have no idea about the rest of the country, but in Washington State it seems to be. And why not? The hospitals are not doing it for free. They charge several hundred dollars for a $10 C-collar... Who knows how much they are marking up the cost of a Covid test. If it costs them $50, my guess would be that the emergency room will charge you $500 or more. It is an easy way to make up for being empty and losing tons of money because of people being afraid to go near them after all of the hype.
When my elderly parents went to pick my sister up, they said that the place still appeared to be half empty. Unfortunately, this happened on the last day of the year and she is having to pay her entire yearly Obamacare co-pay of $2000 for the ambulance ride and visit.
Maybe
But last year before the political weaponization of Covid. Same exact thing. Lots of sick lungs. No influenza. It was January right around this time. Lots of us scratching the head.
Whatever it is, it is two years in a row
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