This year we have the impression that the flu is more virulent than in other years and that those affected are a little worse off. Who doesn’t have a loved one in their entourage who fell ill this winter? Nobody ! “I rather tend to say that small influences don’t exist anyway!” explains Dr. Charlotte. Influenza is a relatively serious illness with severe bedridden symptoms. But is it more virulent this year? Explanations.
Not particularly louder, but sooner
This winter the flu is more evident because it arrives a little earlier than in other years. The peak of the flu epidemic was reached during the last two weeks of December, while it usually tends to break out in mid-January or even February. This was the case in 2019, for example. And then, this epidemic peak came at the same time as a surge in Covid-19 infections, along with bronchiolitis infections in children. This is called “the triple epidemic”. As a result, all diseases circulated at the same time and weakened many people.
The abandonment of barrier gestures
Wear a mask, ventilate the living rooms, wash your hands regularly, limit contacts. Habits we have adopted throughout the health crisis and quickly forgotten. However, these barrier gestures limit the transmission of viruses, including the flu, which is particularly contagious! Hence the importance of covering your mouth with a mask when you are sick. Or even better: stay home, stay warm! Barrier gestures, used by the entire population for more than 2 winters, also probably caused a drop in herd immunity to the flu.
