But in the Southern Hemisphere—where winter began to descend nearly two months ago—the annual influx of flu and respiratory virus patients “never came,” the Wall Street Journal’s David Luhnow and Alice Uribe report.
According to Luhnow and Uribe, Chile has recorded 1,134 seasonal respiratory infections so far this year, compared with 20,949 such infections during over the same time period last year. And in the first two weeks of July, which typically is the height of flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile reported no new cases of the flu.
Claudia Cortés, a doctor in Chile, said although physicians “keep checking for the other viruses … all we’re seeing is [Covid-19].” She added, “We were surprised by the decline in the other viruses like influenza. We never dreamed it would practically disappear.”
www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2020/07/24/coronavirus-restrictions
For the first time in 36 years there will be no flu season in South Africa