How many people die of the flu each year?

For a year, the world has been obsessively pouring news and statistics about COVID-19. Although cases of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus, have apparently stabilized amid the rapidly expanding vaccination effort, there is another story hidden just below the surface: the flu has almost disappeared this winter.

Last fall, epidemiologists warned of an impending “twindemia” of COVID-19 and seasonal flu – and although cases of the old virus exploded this winter, it appears that increased flu vaccination, universal masking and social detachment have helped. to contain the spread of the latter.

It is still the flu season in the US, which runs from October to May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And like COVID-19, the flu can cause unpleasant symptoms, have persistent side effects and even be deadly – but there have been surprisingly few confirmed cases of flu in the past few months. Here’s everything you need to know about the flu’s death rate, as well as how it is spreading this year.

How many people die of the flu each year?

The answer is a little complicated: the CDC does not have an accurate count of the number of people who die of the flu each year. Instead, the federal agency develops estimates based on rates of hospitalizations confirmed by the flu.

For that reason, it is difficult to compare flu deaths to those of COVID-19, which are documented real deaths, says Mark Hicar, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York. In fact, deaths from COVID-19 are being tracked by confirmed cases, “but there will still be a number of unconfirmed cases, so deaths from COVID-19 are probably higher than what is being reported,” says Dr Hicar. So far, nearly 30 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19, resulting in more than 529,000 deaths, according to the most recent data from the CDC.

Compared to the 2019-2020 flu season, for example, the CDC estimated that more than 38 million became ill with the flu, leading to 400,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths. This is slightly less than the 2018-2019 season (34,200 deaths) and significantly less than the 2017-2018 season (61,000 deaths).

How many influenza-related deaths are expected for the 2020-2021 season?

So far, about 450 people have died from the flu this season, according to the CDC. Flu cases are also decreasing: only 1,500 positive cases were identified in the United States between late September and early March. Influenza infections peaked in the first week of January and have been dropping steadily ever since.

It’s not exactly a surprise that deaths are lower this year, says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The southern hemisphere (which has its summer when we have our winter) also had an “extraordinarily mild flu season”.

The same disease prevention practices we have mastered to slow the spread of COVID-19 have also affected flu transmission, says David Cennimo, MD, assistant professor of infectious diseases of pediatrics and medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. These lower rates are “a by-product” of efforts such as masking, hand washing and social detachment.

Flu deaths also “depend on how many people get the flu shot,” says Richard Watkins, MD, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Millions more doses than usual were distributed this winter, suggesting a higher rate of flu vaccination between the release of the COVID-19 vaccine.

How to protect yourself from the flu

If you have not had a flu shot yet, Dr. Schaffner recommends doing so as soon as possible as it takes time to build immunity. After all, the flu season continues until May. “It is not too late to be vaccinated,” he says.

The following precautions can also protect you from the flu:

• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect high-contact surfaces and objects.

Methods that help prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask when you are around people who are not at home and practicing social detachment, can also help prevent a cold, flu and other respiratory illnesses. “The impact of influenza on deaths in the United States may well be mitigated by our behavior in trying to avoid COVID-19,” says Dr. Schaffner.

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