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After COVID killed off a flu strain, annual flu shots are in for a redesign (arstechnica.com)

submitted 11 months ago by CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work to c/news@beehaw.org

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.crimedad.work/post/22390

Apparently, a strain of influenza, B/Yamagata, went extinct, perhaps because of COVID. Go figure.

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[–] IoSapsai@lemm.ee 20 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

While it really does feel like it, as a person working in healthcare, I do see some change after the whole shitstorm from recent years.

There are people who actually wear a mask, few, but they are around.
A lot more people seem to be conscious of spreading their illness to other people be it a cold or COVID.
People definitely wash their hands more often. I know we do.
Some people started getting their annual shots when they didn't intend to before.
Local businesses open their windows and doors a lot more than they used to.

But also I also see some negative tendencies:

Interest in flu shots has waned. That might have something to do with the govt introducing a free flu shot programme from your GP if you're above 65 or with specific conditions (which is a great thing) But I definitely see a lot more vaxx-scepticism and fear of combining both shots (infant vaccination plans are a lot more intense and the vast majority are fine).
People politicising a disease.
This is country specific but food supplement companies aggressively promoting "immune system stimulants" to the point where in the beginning of The Plague™ they somehow managed to include them in hospital treatment plans.

This came out longer than intended but there were some things that I needed to get out of my system.

[–] Player2@sopuli.xyz 3 points 11 months ago

I'm glad there are positive changes, and obviously those are most effective in healthcare situations.

However, from my personal experience as a university student in Canada, everything is the same if not worse than before. Hand sanitizer stations have been removed or simply not refilled, people straight up refuse to wear masks even when they're sick. A week or two ago in class, I saw many people literally sneeze into their hands and then wipe the snot on their chairs (and these are supposed to be engineering students!). There is still no ventilation or even filtration in any of our classrooms.

Not only is personal protective equipment not used by almost anyone, its use is actively stigmatized by many, including professors at school. To me this is completely ridiculous, but unfortunately reality.