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Simian Practicalist

Influenza Cases Relabeled as COVID-19 Cases?

Since at least the middle of last year, comments have been circulating that COVID-19 cases are actually influenza cases. There are reasons for this suspicion.


In terms of intent, there is the usual “rig some numbers for a plandemic in order obtain more control”. No doubt some dismiss this as “conspiracy theory”. In any case, it may be easier to consider the means.


First, the CDC admitted at the time that “no quantified virus isolates of the 2019-nCoV were available” which begs the question as to what COVID-19 is. That doesn’t mean there isn’t something out there, but has it been identified since? If it has, I haven’t heard.


Secondly, more pertinent to case numbers, COVID-19 tests (regardless of the mechanism) are arguably invalid if the virus has not been identified properly.


Thirdly, according to a study by Rita Jaafar et al published on 28 September 2020, the PCR test is questionable at best. Also, the FDA recently issued a recall for the Innova SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test (not a PCR test) due to the possibility of false-negatives and false-positives without admitting that it could have been wrong the whole time that these were in use.


With that preamble out of the way, and now being the end of August 2021, let’s check the official influenza stats. I will briefly look at US, Canada, Australia, England and EU/EEA. Please note that there are many more stats available. In some reports, there is the distinction between consultations, tests, positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths, but the short version is that at a glance it is suspicious at best.


US

Influenza positives tests, 30 September 2018 – 26 October 2019 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2019-2020/Week43.htm)
Influenza positives tests, 30 September 2018 – 26 October 2019 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2019-2020/Week43.htm)
Influenza positives tests, 29 September 2019 – 31 October 2020 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2020-2021/week44.htm)
Influenza positives tests, 29 September 2019 – 31 October 2020 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2020-2021/week44.htm)

At the glance, there is a noticeable reduction in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 even though that period isn’t meant to be the flu season anyway.


 Influenza positives tests, 27 September 2020 – 31 July 2021 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2020-2021/week30.htm)
Influenza positives tests, 27 September 2020 – 31 July 2021 (CDC, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2020-2021/week30.htm)

From the end of 2020 to the end of July 2021, note the use of a different (lower) scale.


Pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 mortality, 2017 – 2021 (ibid.)
Pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 mortality, 2017 – 2021 (ibid.)

It can be seen that COVID-19 deaths far outweigh influenza deaths and no influenza deaths are visible on the above graph for the latest season. Accepting the data as is and ignoring the cause for a moment, it seems there are increased deaths due to these types of diseases but it is not a simple matter of influenza relabeled as COVID-19. This suggests there is something out there even if the cause of illness and death is questionable. (Of course, any death unrelated to influenza and respiratory illnesses could still be written with COVID-19 as the cause.)


Influenza-associated pediatric deaths, 2017 – 2021 (ibid.)
Influenza-associated pediatric deaths, 2017 – 2021 (ibid.)

Wow. Merely one influenza-associated pediatric death during the latest season.


Canada

Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2018-w35 – 2019-w34 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2018-2019/week30-34-july-21-august-24-2019.html)
Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2018-w35 – 2019-w34 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2018-2019/week30-34-july-21-august-24-2019.html)
Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2019-w35 – 2020-w34 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2019-2020/weeks-30-34-july-19-august-22-2020.html)
Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2019-w35 – 2020-w34 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2019-2020/weeks-30-34-july-19-august-22-2020.html)
Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2020-w35 – 2021-w29 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2020-2021/weeks-25-29-june-20-july-24-2021.html)
Number of positive influenza tests and percentage of tests positive, 2020-w35 – 2021-w29 (Government of Canada, www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2020-2021/weeks-25-29-june-20-july-24-2021.html)

Note the use of different (lower) scales and a different profile.


Australia


The below graphs are from the Australian Government Department of Health’s Influenza Surveillance Report No 10 – 02 August to 15 August 2021.


Rate of ILI reported from ASPREN sentinel GP surveillance systems, 1 January 2016 – 15 August 2021
Rate of ILI reported from ASPREN sentinel GP surveillance systems, 1 January 2016 – 15 August 2021

One can see that for 2020 (dashed light green) and 2021 (solid red), the numbers are significantly lower than previous years.


Notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza, 1 January 2016 – 15 August 2021
Notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza, 1 January 2016 – 15 August 2021

As for lab-confirmed cases, the numbers are so low compared to previous years that a magnified inset is required.


England



GP in-hours consultation rate for influenza-like illness (ILI), 2016 – 2021
GP in-hours consultation rate for influenza-like illness (ILI), 2016 – 2021
GP in-hours consultation rate for pneumonia, 2016 – 2021
GP in-hours consultation rate for pneumonia, 2016 – 2021

The above are in-hours GP consultations. In isolation, this can be explained, for example, by lockdowns during which people don’t go out to see doctors for a mere cold.


However, if one looks at the ICU/HDU admissions and detection, then one can see that the numbers for influenza are significantly reduced during the latest season.


Number of confirmed influenza ICU/HDU admissions, 2011 – 2021
Number of confirmed influenza ICU/HDU admissions, 2011 – 2021
Influenza detections by subtype through Respiratory Datamart, 2010 – 2021
Influenza detections by subtype through Respiratory Datamart, 2010 – 2021

EU/EEA

Sentinel specimens positive for influenza virus, 2015 – 2020 (ECDC, www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/seasonal-influenza-annual-epidemiological-report-2019-2020)
Sentinel specimens positive for influenza virus, 2015 – 2020 (ECDC, www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/seasonal-influenza-annual-epidemiological-report-2019-2020)

Although highly generalized since this covers such a large area, it can still be seen that the 2019/20 influenza numbers are similar and follows the same profile as previous seasons until about week 11 of 2020. At that point, there is a reduction compared to previous years.


The below is essentially the same graph. The smoothing and color selection are both different and unhelpful. The light green plot which vaguely fits the other seasons is 2014/15. The other light green plot hugging the horizontal (time) axis is 2020/21. I did check the colors using the eyedropper color selection tool as there is a distinction.


Sentinel specimens positive for influenza virus, 2014 – 2021 (ECDC, www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/seasonal-influenza-annual-epidemiological-report-2020-2021)
Sentinel specimens positive for influenza virus, 2014 – 2021 (ECDC, www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/seasonal-influenza-annual-epidemiological-report-2020-2021)


There may be genuine reasons why influenza or influenza-like illnesses are down and it does not seem like influenza cases are simply relabeled as COVID-19 cases since the latter numbers are generally higher. Nonetheless, it is highly suspicious that influenza has almost disappeared. I am surprised COVID-19 hasn’t been marketed as having killed off influenza.

 

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