Misleading Posts Claim 2020 Flu Cases Were Misrepresented as COVID-19
The Claim
Following the announcement that last year's flu season was the "lowest on record," it was discovered that the influenza numbers in the United States for 2020 were misrepresented as COVID-19.
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Emerging story
Social media users shared posts claiming that COVID-19 was used to misrepresent the influenza numbers in the United States in 2020.
The posts were based on articles reporting that "The US flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it misleading.
The articles the claim was based on actually mentioned that “Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, likely because COVID-19 measures prevented the spread of influenza, or because the coronavirus somehow pushed aside other viruses.”
Photo description: The article mentioned that the records were low due to COVID-19 restrictions.
After similar claims went viral last year, the WHO's director of Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, Dr. Sylvie Briand, said in a press conference that the Southern Hemisphere had a very limited flu transmission that season.
The expert has also confirmed that the low flu numbers were due to the undertaken public health measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Also, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has mentioned that Influenza and COVID-19 are different.
Photo description: Flu and COVID-19 are caused by different viruses.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also tracked flu cases during the same period and has found an unusual decline in the cases rate, even with the high level of testing.
It is worth mentioning that testing is obligatory to confirm COVID-19 cases and that the two diseases require different vaccines. According to experts, the undertaken measures against Covid-19 helped reduce flu cases.
