Usa news: And yes, it may have something to do with the fact that many people have been wearing masks and avoiding others for the past two-plus years.

Researchers say there are a host of factors influencing the current misery, including chance, the specifics of the immune system and direct and indirect effects of the pandemic.

To avoid getting a cold or the flu, experts say the same strategies that worked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic still work, and layering them will be more effective than just doing one.
Why are so many people sick right now?
Viral outbreaks naturally vary, with some years worse than others, but COVID-19 certainly effected the natural patterns, said Dr. Ofer Levy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist who directs the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

“It seems very likely to me that everything that happened with the pandemic with travel, etc, has altered some of these patterns,” he said.