Doctors say the practices of hand washing and disinfecting proved to be valuable tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did these measures help reduce the risk of transmission of the novel coronavirus in kids and adults alike, but they also reduced the number of cases of other infectious childhood ailments such as chicken pox, strep throats, and stomach viruses.

“We’ve seen a dramatic decline in the numbers,” said Dr. Rana El Feghaly, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Kansas City, Missouri. “All the peaks that we expected in the winter of this year, we haven’t seen any of those.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the virtual disappearance of the flu has been well documented. This year’s flu season was practically non-existent with only 2,000 confirmed cases compared to 200,000 cases normally reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to NBC News, experts say that the CDC data represents a fraction of the actual number of flu cases which could actually range from 9 million to 45 million annually. They say COVID-19 mitigation measures prevented flu transmission this season.

The CDC says that the flu numbers in the U.S. plummeted 98% this year. The reasons for the dramatic decline include fewer people traveling, more people wearing masks and social distancing, along with more Americans getting the flu shot, according to reports.

Other common childhood infectious illnesses also practically disappeared.

Chickenpox cases in the U.S. plummeted by two-thirds from pre-pandemic days according to CDC data, along with other bacterial diseases such as strep throat. Globally, similar declines in childhood infectious diseases were noted. For example, in Japan, the number of cases of rotavirus, a bug that causes diarrhea and/or vomiting in children dropped by 99% compared to figures gathered in May 2019 before the pandemic.

According to the Journal, strep throat and stomach bugs are often transmitted when children touch objects or eat foods that contain even trace amounts of bacteria or viruses, so washing hands frequently and disinfecting surfaces helped prevent the spread of these pathogens.

But as American life returns to normal, doctors are now seeing an uptick in runny noses and flu-like symptoms caused by common viruses. Colds are making a comeback after a record low number of cases this past pandemic year.

“People are taking off their masks, they’re no longer social distancing, they’re not washing their hands as much and they’re getting sick again,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, an infectious disease expert at Mount Sinai hospital in South Nassau. “Getting back to normal “comes at a price,” Glatt told USA Today.

Pediatricians across the country are already seeing an increase in colds, strep throats, and other viral infections.

“We haven’t had a case of COVID-19 since March 12, but we’re seeing all kinds of run-of-the mill viruses,” said Dr. Jennifer Shu, an Atlanta-based pediatrician, and popular media expert on child healthcare issues. “It’s not more than normal. It’s just a stark contract from seeing nothing for a year except COVID-19.”

Pediatric infectious disease experts say that cold viruses can be heartier than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. They remain on surfaces longer, so it is important to continue washing your hands and not touching your face.

While Dr. El Feghaly of Kansas City says she does not expect Americans to continue wearing masks, she does hope that some of the mitigation efforts remain in place.

“I can foresee how things would move toward a middle ground, where it’s not as strict, but also we continue to do some of the precautions that we know help, like washing your hands and sneezing into your shirt, into your elbow,” she told the Journal. “Those types of things, we know they work.”