Epidemiologist Knut Wittkowski thinks he can answer the riddle.
“Influenza has been renamed COVID in large part,” Wittkowski, the former head of biostatistics, epidemiology and research design at Rockefeller University, told the outlet.
“There may be quite a number of influenza cases included in the ‘presumed COVID’ category of people who have COVID symptoms (which Influenza symptoms can be mistaken for), but are not tested for SARS RNA,” he added.
Such patients, he explained, “also may have some SARS RNA sitting in their nose while being infected with Influenza, in which case the influenza would be ‘confirmed’ to be COVID.”
You know, like when you die from a gunshot wound or a car accident but just happen to test positive for the novel coronavirus, it’s listed as a COVID death.
Where have all the flu cases gone?
Epidemiologist Knut Wittkowski thinks he can answer the riddle.
“Influenza has been renamed COVID in large part,” Wittkowski, the former head of biostatistics, epidemiology and research design at Rockefeller University, told the outlet.
“There may be quite a number of influenza cases included in the ‘presumed COVID’ category of people who have COVID symptoms (which Influenza symptoms can be mistaken for), but are not tested for SARS RNA,” he added.
Such patients, he explained, “also may have some SARS RNA sitting in their nose while being infected with Influenza, in which case the influenza would be ‘confirmed’ to be COVID.”
You know, like when you die from a gunshot wound or a car accident but just happen to test positive for the novel coronavirus, it’s listed as a COVID death.
Got to keep the 'Rona bucks coming!