best of all, covid and the flu (influenza) are so similar the the pcr test cant distinguish betwen them.
That's not what your link says. The Covid-only test would only test for Covid. It wouldn't give a result on flu either way. They changed to use tests that do both at the same time.
The NPC explanation for this is that the wuflu is so contagious that it's spreading everywhere even with masks and standing slightly further apart at the checkout.
And yet despite it spreading everywhere there's still no one falling dead on the street...
Do you want the answer? Theoretically the flu coud be much lower than in previous years because the social distancing, restrictions, increased hygiene is enough to surpress flu outbreaks because the flu is not as contagious as covid. Covid has much higher viral loads than the flu. Also people who get the flu are now probably overreacting and treating it with antivirals and monitoring it closely, leading to decreased deaths from flu.
The flu only hits a few areas at once in a year, and typically does not return to a region for several years at a time. I think changes in behavior could have changed the R0 of flu enough to seriously hampered its spread but I think that can only last a few years until flu mutates sufficiently to become more infectious or people’s immunities sufficiently to become a lot more vulnerable. I think lowered flu rate is a real signal.
But there could be problems with the reporting system as well (political).
there is no way flu could drop off to near zero but covid is still spreading
[ + ] Garrett
[ - ] Garrett 4 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 13:29:17 ago (+4/-0)*
https://archive.ph/bQEEf
[ + ] Nosferatjew
[ - ] Nosferatjew 3 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 13:30:54 ago (+3/-0)
[ + ] AOUsYamaka
[ - ] AOUsYamaka 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 14:33:53 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] chrimony
[ - ] chrimony 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 18:50:41 ago (+0/-0)
That's not what your link says. The Covid-only test would only test for Covid. It wouldn't give a result on flu either way. They changed to use tests that do both at the same time.
[ + ] Boyakasha
[ - ] Boyakasha 4 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 13:56:55 ago (+4/-0)
[ + ] Broc_Liath
[ - ] Broc_Liath 2 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 17:43:21 ago (+2/-0)
And yet despite it spreading everywhere there's still no one falling dead on the street...
[ + ] 1Icemonkey
[ - ] 1Icemonkey 1 point 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 16:44:35 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] totes_magotes
[ - ] totes_magotes 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 22:53:12 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] account deleted by user
[ - ] account deleted by user 0 points 3.7 yearsOct 13, 2021 21:39:26 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PostWallHelena
[ - ] PostWallHelena -3 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 16:35:09 ago (+0/-3)
The flu only hits a few areas at once in a year, and typically does not return to a region for several years at a time. I think changes in behavior could have changed the R0 of flu enough to seriously hampered its spread but I think that can only last a few years until flu mutates sufficiently to become more infectious or people’s immunities sufficiently to become a lot more vulnerable. I think lowered flu rate is a real signal.
But there could be problems with the reporting system as well (political).
I don’t think that’s so.
[ + ] 1Icemonkey
[ - ] 1Icemonkey 1 point 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 16:46:37 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] PostWallHelena
[ - ] PostWallHelena 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 18:20:46 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] big_fat_dangus
[ - ] big_fat_dangus 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 17:30:23 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] PostWallHelena
[ - ] PostWallHelena 0 points 3.7 yearsSep 27, 2021 18:23:18 ago (+0/-0)