I'm writing a deeper dive but here is the shocking number that should be headline news: 97.9%

97.9% decrease of confirmed flu cases to WHO FluNet/GISRS from weeks 15 through 40 from 2019 to 2020.

Last year, 119,737 confirmed flu cases (9.32% positive)
This year, 2,457 (0.18%)

This is WORLDWIDE

One final disclaimer: obviously only a fraction of flu cases are recorded through testing. And even fewer are participants in the WHO flu surveillance network. Still, a 97.9% year over year decease since calendar week 15 is just completely insane.

If you think this is on account of less testing, it's not.

Last year: 1,285,346 tests through weeks 15-40
This year: 1,393,276 tests same weeks