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Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.
Our reading
Seasonal epidemics are driven by a combination of biological and epidemiological factors.
Their wordsThere will be a combination of biological and epidemiological factors behind the patterns we observe. And if that combination of factors changes, we shouldn't necessarily expect epidemics at the same time of year.
Our reading
Unusually cool weather does not appear to be a valid explanation for the early rise in flu cases.
Their wordsIn short, unusually cool weather doesn't seem to hold up well as an explanation.
Their wordsIf we look at school-age children (5 to 14), the rise was later and smaller, and began in late August, during the summer holidays (English schools go back in early September). Schools out... as a theory currently, it would appear.
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