Kelly ServickInfluenza forecasters are a cautious bunch. Flu cases can spike in late winter after months of low infection rates, making experts reluctant to predict a mild season too soon.
But many are ready to declare that COVID-19 control measures have dramatically tamped down the flu and other respiratory viruses that would normally be ripping through the Northern Hemisphere.The World Health Organization (WHO), based on global surveillance data collected through late last month, says flu activity in the Northern Hemisphere is at “interseasonal levels,” meaning it’s as low as in an ordinary summer.
In the United States, the percentage of outpatient visits for influenzalike illness is at 1.6%, well below the 2.6% baseline used to define a.