Flu cases 'drop' 95% compared to last year. Are patients being misdiagnosed as having COVID-19?

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus and the flu is caused by an influenza virus. These are two similar but distinct types of viruses that can be easily differentiated in a lab. But new data from the CDC may point to the flu being misdiagnosed as COVID-19, resulting in higher coronavirus numbers but much lower flu numbers. In fact, there has been a 95% decrease in flu cases during current weeks 40-41.

This time last year, there were 1251 flu cases reported to the CDC during weeks 40-41. This is about average. But in 2020, we're seeing a record low number of 61 total flu cases reported in the same time period. It doesn't take a medical degree to come to the logical conclusion that the flu didn't suddenly disappear but that it's simply being misdiagnosed as COVID-19.

There are two most likely scenarios causing this. The first is nefarious; doctors and hospitals are misdiagnosing on purpose. Whether for political or financial reasons, medical professionals are reporting flu cases as COVID-19. The second and more likely scenario is that people who have been infected with COVID-19 and did not see symptoms were subsequently infected with the flu and then went to the doctor. They were tested and since they had both viruses in their system, they were reported as the higher-paying COVID-19 diagnosis.

On the Ingraham Angle last night, Laura Ingraham and Phil Kerpen discussed this trend and pointed to the likelihood that the flu isn't really gone, but COVID-19 numbers are more politically and financially expedient to report.