Covid-19, "Seasonal Flu," A New Season And New Vaccines -- October 21, 2022

For background, see these two posts:

• the leading cause of death, for those agd 45 - 54, last year: Covid-19
• has anyone actually looked at the PIC graph? 

The weekly US influenza surveillance report, October 21, 2022, has just been released.

I wonder if anyone is paying attention. 

This is only October. Height of "seasonal flu" season is January, February time frame, and already:

And, then, look at this, the graph below: this is the percentage of outpatient visits for all respiratory illnesses for all seasons beginning with the 2017 - 2018 season, through the Covid-19 seasons (2019 - 2020, 2020 - 2021) and including the 2022 - 2023 season.

The "season" begins with "week 40," far left of the graph. 

The current season, at 3%, is three times higher than the 2021 - 2022 season, one year ago, same point in time. And, the current season is the "worst," by far of all six seasons. 

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"Seasonal" Flu

Viruses come in two different flavors: DNA and RNA.

RNA is, by far, much worse than DNA viruses.

Bad news: both Covid-19 and "seasonal flu" viruses are RNA viruses.

The "seasonal flu" vaccines use old technology and fall short of what is needed.

But good news: both Moderna and Pfizer are in Phase 3 stage trials for mRNA vaccines for "seasonal flu." It takes upwards of eight months to develop a "seasonal flu" vaccine; it is hoped that mRNA vaccine technology will be much faster.