SACRAMENTO, California — While California continues to combat widespread transmission of the coronavirus, the influenza activity remained lower than usual so far this season.
The flu season typically runs from fall to spring each year, and this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts feared a twindemic.
The California Department of Public Health reported 46 positive influenza tests for the 2020-2021 season by the second week of December. In the 2019-2020 flu season, there were 3,316 positive influenza tests in the second week of December, according to CDPH.
Since the flu virus spreads through respiratory droplets just like COVID-19, Sacramento County spokesperson Brenda Bongiorno said the measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 (social distancing/masks/not gathering) could also slow the spread of flu transmission.
According to Bongiorno, in Sacramento County, people who seek treatment for moderate or severe symptoms were likely to be tested for the flu and COVID-19.
While the county has yet to release its data on the current influenza season, CDPH reported more flu tests processed, 40,059 tests, in the current flu season than in the previous season, 31,494 tests.
The number of flu deaths reported statewide is down nearly 90%, with four flu deaths reported so far in the current flu season versus 39 flu deaths reported in the last flu season.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
On Saturday, Dec. 19, the Sacramento-based band, Dance Gavin Dance, live-streamed a concert from Sacramento's landmark, Tower Bridge.
