More than 200,000 Kiwis catch the flu each year, and an estimated 500 people die from it - more than the annual road toll. Experts have been left astonished at the impact that the fight against Covid-19 has so far had on flu rates - one likening it to a fascinating "natural experiment". Similarly, reports of any cough or fever among people being tracked by the FluTracking website are at historically low rates. Now that Kiwis were back to mingling under the looser life of level 1, would virus rates begin to climb again? "The influenza incidence rate is a result of population immunity, fitness of virus and environment and behaviour condition," she said.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 14, 2020 19:30 UTC