The average flu season kills thousands of Americans each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After unusually low recorded flu activity between 2020 and 2021, cases of the disease have jumped back up in 2022.
According to the CDC, the drop in flu cases during the pandemic can be attributed to a decline in routine health checks, meaning fewer people were tested for influenza than in previous years, and the wide range of health measures taken in response to COVID-19.
As a result, preliminary estimates of those impacted by the 2021-22 flu season are as much as 90% lower than in past years.
