>>13132350Different viruses have different virility rates, agreed?
Every virus' virility rate can be quantified via a reproduction number, let's call it R0. Good so far?
Measures like social distancing and masking will alter the environment such that the flu and covid (among others) will have reduced virility. Agreed?
If you agreed with all three, then it's just one more step. Imagine two viruses, A and B, such that R_b > R_a > 1, that is, B is more infectious than A. Then if I alter the environment in such a way that R_b and R_a both decrease, it is possible to get a situation where R_b > 1 > R_a. Agreed? Because that's exactly what happened to the flu. And if the reproduction rate is less than 1, the virus doesn't get a chance to spread. Hence the flu basically didn't exist this season whereas COVID was still spreading rapidly.
