Read on Twitter
Why is nobody talking about viral interference? (Infection with one virus can interfere with the ability of another virus to infect a host at the same time, providing temporary protection). I don't think it's a coincidence that this year has seen very decreased flu activity ..
...while Covid19 is doing the rounds. Viral interference doesn't always occur of course, as coinfection with multiple viruses will be more likely in immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable people.
A bit of interesting reading, though there's not much research been done on this yet: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.25953
And a bit more... https://www.pnas.org/content/116/52/27142
One more. "it is possible that the declines observed in the United States were just the natural end to the influenza season. However, the change in the decrease percent positivity after March 1 was dramatic, suggesting other factors were at play." https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6937a6.htm
Ok, just one more....for anyone who's really interested in this stuff: "Three reports showed data suggesting that the autumn rhinovirus epidemic interrupted and delayed the spread of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic" https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(20)30114-2/fulltext#:~:text=One%20proposed%20mechanism%20is%20viral,other%20related%20or%20unrelated%20viruses.&text=Viral%20interference%3A%20the%20case%20of%20influenza%20viruses.
