Globe and Mail, Toronto.
December 30, 2020
Page 3, from the article:
Fears of a “twindemic” have not materialized this year, with hardly any cases of flu in Canada this season, while COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country.
I guess the question we should ask one another is: are we effectively carrying out those measures/behaviors? Social distancing, for example, might not be that effective if we still exchange already contaminated objects from hand to hand without proper disinfecting them. Secondly, how effective is the ongoing contact tracing?
COVID-19 has a large percentage of asymptomatic carriers who are as well not carrying out proper preventive measures. I understand that the new normal might be difficult to abide with, but we must be seeing trying our best because the mortality and morbidity rates are not going down as expected. Unfortunately, we now have a second wave.
If social distancing and other behaviors are reducing the incidence of flu, why don’t they have the same effect on COVID-19?
Is it because the CoV is more transmissible? Is it because there are nil flu cases in Canada?
Is the resilience of CoV in the face of the implemented behavioral responses a cause for concern about CoV?
Is it because CoV is encountering people with zero previous exposure to COVID-19, whereas people do have some residual immunity to flu?
Is it because transmission modes are different for flu and CoV?
Are there any relevant studies?
I guess the question we should ask one another is: are we effectively carrying out those measures/behaviors? Social distancing, for example, might not be that effective if we still exchange already contaminated objects from hand to hand without proper disinfecting them. Secondly, how effective is the ongoing contact tracing?
COVID-19 has a large percentage of asymptomatic carriers who are as well not carrying out proper preventive measures. I understand that the new normal might be difficult to abide with, but we must be seeing trying our best because the mortality and morbidity rates are not going down as expected. Unfortunately, we now have a second wave.
I am no specialist. But perhaps is it due to counting issues. I am not sure that covid-19 are well counted, i.e. all the cases declared as covid-19 are so. Not sure that other respiratory diseases are not counted as covid-19 cases as well. The tests are not so abundant, hence when there is a respiratory affection, for caution or other reasons, it may be more convenient to consider them as covid.
1. Covid-19 is more transmissible; 2. Covid-19 is being tested far, far more with RT-PCR than Flu viruses; and 3. Far more media attention on Covid-19 than the Fly viruses.
Agree with Nicholas. We can even go further if we can reduce ALL of these viruses by breaking the "unconscious habit" of touching the T Zone and adding eye protection, face shields or goggles. More information at www.henrythehand.org . I created a Foundation to teach hand hygiene behavior. Now face shields have become a protective device as well as the behavior change tool we have used in the Classroom and School Tool Kits for 15 year.
I think it's due to counting issues of COVID-19. I am not sure that covid-19 are well counted, i.e. all the cases declared as covid-19 are so. Not sure that other respiratory diseases are not counted as covid-19 cases as well. The tests are not so abundant, hence when there is a respiratory affection, for caution or other reasons, it may be more convenient to consider them as covid.
1. Transmission of Covid-19 is more
2. Covid 19 is not been studied well till now
La incidencia de gripe no tiene buen registro, hay alta morbilidad, incluso hay vacunas para reducir la incidencia. La transmisión de Covid - 19, no se ha estudiado bien, es un virus que acaba de aparecer, las medidas son buenas, pero la población no cumple dichas medidas, por lo tanto hay mayor incidencia.
Google translation of Sonia Olinda Velasquez Rondon reply into English:
The incidence of influenza is not well recorded, there is high morbidity, there are even vaccines to reduce the incidence. The transmission of Covid - 19 has not been well studied, it is a virus that has just appeared, the measures are good, but the population does not comply with these measures, therefore there is a higher incidence.
Social distancing do have the same effect (as with the flu) reducing incidence.
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