What is the difference?
I have been exposed to tested positive Covid 19 persons three times. nothing happened.
In march of 2016 'we" had a respiratory bug, which I now think was the flu, we were almost bed ridden for the whole month and recovery was at least two weeks , did not go to the doctors, did call in a and ask for a ZPAK for sinus infection which one of us took. Took care of ourselves. Lots of homemade soup and plenty of water and some vitamins b12, d and c.
here is the report from the CDC for that season.
When did the 2015-2016 flu season peak?
The timing of flu is unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although activity can last as late as May. The peak week of flu activity in terms of influenza-like illness (ILI) for the 2015-2016 season was the week ending March 12, 2016. This is one of the later season peaks on record. Over the last 18 seasons (including the 2015-2016 season), only three seasons have peaked during March (2015-2016, 2011-2012 and 2005-2006). No season has peaked later than March.
How many people died from flu during the 2015-2016 season?
CDC does not count how many people die from flu each year. Unlike flu deaths in children, flu deaths in adults are not nationally reportable. During the 2015-2016 season, overall influenza activity was moderate, with a lower percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI), lower hospitalization rates, and a lower percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) compared with the preceding three seasons (2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015).
CDC used two flu surveillance systems to monitor relative levels of flu-associated deaths: mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System. Both of these systems track the proportion of death certificates processed that list pneumonia or influenza as the underlying or contributing cause of death of the total deaths reported. These systems provide an overall indication of whether flu-associated deaths are elevated, but do not provide an exact number of how many people died from flu.
Based on data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Surveillance System, the proportion of deaths attributed to P&I was at or slightly above the epidemic threshold for three consecutive weeks from the week ending January 2, 2016, through the week ending January 16, 2016 (weeks 52-2) and again for four consecutive weeks from the week ending February 27, 2016, through the week ending March 19, 2016 (weeks 8-11). The percentage of deaths attributed to P&I peaked at 7.9% during the week ending March 19, 2016 (week 11). During the past five influenza seasons, peak weekly percentages of deaths attributable to P&I have ranged from 8.7% during the 2011-12 season to 11.1% during the 2012-13 season.
Based on 122 Cities Mortality Reporting System data, the weekly percentage of deaths attributed to P&I exceeded the epidemic threshold for the weeks ending January 16, 2016 (week 2) and February 27, 2016 (week 8), and again for 5 consecutive weeks from the week ending March 19, 2016, through the week ending April 16, 2016 (weeks 11–15), and finally, for 2 consecutive weeks from the week ending May 7, 2016, through the week ending May 14, 2016 (weeks 18–19). P&I mortality peaked at 7.8% during the week ending March 26, 2016 (week 12). During the past five influenza seasons, peak weekly percentages of deaths attributable to P&I have ranged from 7.9% during the 2011–12 season to 9.9% during the 2012–13 season. More information about pneumonia and influenza-associated mortality is available in the 2015-2016 influenza season Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2015-2016.htm#peak