The 1918 Spanish Flu hung around for 3 years. A virus exists by replicating and mutating as it passes through the population. In the case of the 1918 virus, which was a variant of the H1N1 type virus, it infected approximately 500 million people worldwide with an estimated 50 million deaths. That pandemic ended when herd immunity from previously infected people who survived and death dramatically reduced the available targets for the virus. The virus is like a wildfire and can race uncontrolled until the fuel is burned off. I know many people have taken the vaccine and that will add to slowing the spread just as Covid survivors do with their immunity. It has been shown that the natural immunity as well as immunity from a vaccine isn't 100% and repeated positives can be possible. The mutations that the virus develops as it goes through the population help to ensure it can survive so the longer the virus stays in the out of control stage the more damage it can cause from mutations. I took the jab because of my advanced age during the out of control time period but feel as soon as the major wave is passed my decision to get another booster might change. We are approaching the 2 year period of the pandemic and my hope is that the time where the virus slows and then basically stops is near. Most that get infected from Covid survive with no side effects as well as the most people who take the vaccine. Once the mutations stop due to low case loads then we will be at the end stage of the pandemic. Let's hope it is sooner than later.
The H1N1 flu never stopped mutating and coming back for more and the vaccinations cannot keep up with the mutations (variants). I suspect that's what we are in for now with Corona-19. I never had a flu vaccination and I do get a case about every 10 or 15 years but I shake it off pretty fast. Probably due to acquired immunity from previous H1N1 episodes that are closely related. I am not going to start with vaccines due to my advanced age (69) and my personal observations of ''vaccinated'' friends near death from Corona-19.
As a side note, what happened to the flu? My wife's pediatric office usually is over run with flu and now it is rare. I have to wonder if this virus is killing the flu virus. Otherwise surely you could have 2 viral infections at once?
I never had a flu shot before this year. My own opinion is the social distancing, hand washing and masking all added to less flu. Hard to pass on the flu if nobody is around you which has been the case over the past year or more.
