This podcast is a visit with Sara Mendez of the Brazos County health district and WTAW's Bill Oliver.

Coronavirus has knocked down the number of flu cases in Brazos County by more than 90 percent compared to a year ago.

The Brazos County health district reports 154 flu cases through the first 15 weeks of flu season. That's down from 1,794 during the same period last year.

Sara Mendez at the health district says one reason are people taking preventative measures against coronavirus, which are the same as the flu.

Mendez says there is also anecdotal evidence that more people are getting flu shots.

There is also a decrease in the number of influenza like illnesses, or ILI, from 1,067 a year ago to 807 this year. According to the health district, ILI "usually means that it is probably the flu, but a flu test was not done." And "the ILI numbers do not include any COVID cases."

While there has been 154 flu cases, Brazos County has had more than 6,600 coronavirus cases during the same period.