When reading this it’s important to understand. The flu always was a prolific killer, worthy of annual vaccination campaigns, surveillance and investment into public awareness. It’s only been very recently that it has been used as a benchmark for whether a disease is tolerable in society or not.
Prior to COVID-19, we were working every year to reduce the impact of flu, admittedly without the knowledge of how impactful general use of masks might be, but still.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. At the end of the day the death rate is the tip of the iceberg and you can see the impact of circulating viruses on the economy for yourself.
It’s also worth noting that many cultures did use masks during flu seasons, so it would have been worth thinking that over more deeply long before Covid turned up.
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