They did it as a response to hearing from the public that their suspicion that Covid-19 is a seasonal flu under another name. They wanted to clarify that Covid-19 is caused by a coronavirus, and influenza (also known as the seasonal flu) is caused by the influenza virus.
While the symptoms can be similar, and the elderly and people with complex health issues are very susceptible to both, they are different viruses.
They offered some clarification as to why there has been little to no influenza this fall and winter.
- The Northern Hemisphere influenza season usually follows the Southern Hemisphere influenza season. As there was little there overall and less international travel early in 2020 this limited the spread.
- Staying home when sick, using PPE, frequent and through hand washing and enhancing cleaning protocols all helped prevent illness, including influenza. Also the practice of physical distancing helped. Public health measures have slowed but not stopped the coronavirus, they have halted the spread of influenza.
- The good uptake of people getting their flu shots in 2020. It is a key component in preventing the spread of influenza and protecting the community.
They close by saying there is a lot we don’t know yet. Epidemiologists are virologists will be studying more to understand what happened to influenza in 2020/21.