The Claim:
Was flu just switched out for COVID?
The Facts:
Before we had a vaccine for COVID, we had non-pharmaceutical mitigation strategies, namely masking and social distancing. As we then understood COVID to be transmitted through droplet particles, masking was the first line of defense in stopping those droplets from escaping into the environment, and distancing helped people avoid those particles if they escaped beyond what a mask could capture.
Masking and distancing also prevented many diseases primarily spread via droplet transmission, including the flu. Back in 2013, Harvard University published a study suggesting masking helps prevent flu transmission, and in the 2020-2021 flu season, we saw that it did just that.
But flu is likely making a comeback this year since so few people are masking and distancing. Be sure to get a flu shot.