7 ms·
This is what wikipedia says. It doesn’t sound particularly uncommon. “During seasonal epidemics, it is estimated that about 80% of otherwise healthy people who
by osigurdson 4y ago
This is what wikipedia says. It doesn’t sound particularly uncommon.
“During seasonal epidemics, it is estimated that about 80% of otherwise healthy people who have a cough or sore throat have the flu.”
- subharmonicon 4y agoFrom the source paper that is being referenced (from Nature): > During seasonal influenza epidemics, diagnosis on the basis of clinical presentation has reasonable accuracy in previously healthy young and middle-aged adults, in whom the presence of fever with either cough or sore throat is associated with influenza virus infection in ~80% of patients. So Wikipedia doesn’t add that this statement is about the accuracy of diagnosis by a clinician, and completely ignores the important symptom of a fever. Just prior to the statement referring to 80%, Wikipedia also states the following, with references: > In a typical year, influenza viruses infect 5–15% of the global population
- osigurdson 4y agoAgree. The conversation on this thread seemed to be trending toward the conclusion that influenza is rare. It certainly is not.