3 ms·

> the common cold didn't seem to be impacted by the severe lockdowns in the UK Really? Do you have a reference for that? It doesn't match the experience of m

by tome 5y ago

> the common cold didn't seem to be impacted by the severe lockdowns in the UK Really? Do you have a reference for that? It doesn't match the experience of myself and others that I know. Everyone I know was talking about how great it was that they hadn't had a cold for so long, during the lockdowns.

roywiggins 5y ago
RSV (one of the main cold viruses) was suppressed in the US in 2020, yeah. It's back now. https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/natl-trend.html https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/natl-trend.html
- amluto 5y ago
  Calling RSV a cold (especially if you’re a baby) is an understatement.
petercooper 5y ago
Not exactly. The reference regarding flu is https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-england-phe-latest-b1805124.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-en... where apparently not a single case was detected in late 2020/early 2021, despite a period of time beforehand without lockdowns (roughly July through end of October). There are references in the media to colds being more prevalent throughout this entire same period though, but admittedly not during the lockdowns, as you say. From this I made an uneducated extrapolation that the common cold pretty much stuck around somewhere and began to rapidly spread again as soon as people got out and about (I got one first week of schools going back in September, as per usual), whereas flu clearly did not.
badRNG 5y ago
You're probably correct here. Flu cases are tracked due to its severity. Cold cases are likely not often even paid attention to by many of those experiencing them. Anecdotally, I and my friends and relatives hunkered down for COVID in 2020, and we had more cases turn out to be actually COVID-19 than common colds.
nradov 5y ago
I've heard some anecdotes about that but no hard data. This could just be confirmation bias rather than a real effect. People like to believe that their actions are having an effect, and they see imaginary patterns in randomness.
midasuni 5y ago
My family has been ill several times in the last 6 weeks (including covid) - more than the previous 2 years put together. Anecdotal but personally interesting

by tome 5y ago

roywiggins 5y ago

RSV (one of the main cold viruses) was suppressed in the US in 2020, yeah. It's back now. https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/natl-trend.html https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/rsv/natl-trend.html

amluto 5y ago
Calling RSV a cold (especially if you’re a baby) is an understatement.

petercooper 5y ago

Not exactly. The reference regarding flu is https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-england-phe-latest-b1805124.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/flu-cases-covid-en... where apparently not a single case was detected in late 2020/early 2021, despite a period of time beforehand without lockdowns (roughly July through end of October). There are references in the media to colds being more prevalent throughout this entire same period though, but admittedly not during the lockdowns, as you say. From this I made an uneducated extrapolation that the common cold pretty much stuck around somewhere and began to rapidly spread again as soon as people got out and about (I got one first week of schools going back in September, as per usual), whereas flu clearly did not.

badRNG 5y ago

You're probably correct here. Flu cases are tracked due to its severity. Cold cases are likely not often even paid attention to by many of those experiencing them. Anecdotally, I and my friends and relatives hunkered down for COVID in 2020, and we had more cases turn out to be actually COVID-19 than common colds.

nradov 5y ago

I've heard some anecdotes about that but no hard data. This could just be confirmation bias rather than a real effect. People like to believe that their actions are having an effect, and they see imaginary patterns in randomness.

midasuni 5y ago

My family has been ill several times in the last 6 weeks (including covid) - more than the previous 2 years put together. Anecdotal but personally interesting