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The Number of People Suffering From Influenza Lowest For 130 Years – Positivity Rate At 0%

The Times has reported that, according to new official data, the number of people suffering from flu has plunged by 95% to levels not seen in more than 130 years.

Winter would generally see thousands of people becoming ill with flu, and many ending up in hospitals. However, the number of hospital admissions for flu in England in the second week of January was zero.

Health officials found that the flu positivity rate – a standard measure of the extent to which flu is being spread – was at zero per cent, with zero positive samples out of 1,894.

Influenza has been ‘almost completely wiped out, according to Simon de Lusignan, Professor of Primary care at the University of Oxford and Director of the Royal College of GPs Research and Surveillance Centre, which focuses on flu. He continued, ‘I cannot think of a year this has happened.’

Moreover, this trend is reflected the world over, with latest figures showing that less than a tenth of the normal billion or so people who get the flu each year have picked it up.

Experts put this down to measures in place to fight coronavirus, such as social distancing, mask wearing, increased washing of hands and the use of sanitizers.

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