A globe, with the image focused on the Southern Hemisphere

Summer is in full force North of the equator, but it's winter in the world's southern half. As a result, those living down under, in Southern Africa, South America or anywhere else far south, are in the thick of flu season. And if the present experiences of those areas are any indication, flu season could end up being tamer in northern nations.

Chile, South Africa and New Zealand are experiencing far less influenza cases than usual, reports the Wall Street Journal. While COVID-19 remains an issue for these countries, the flu hasn't really shown up, even though flu season in the Southern Hemisphere typically runs from April to September.

The lack of flu in the Southern Hemisphere could be good news for North America and Europe, as Becker's Hospital Review suggests. That's because health experts typically look at flu cases to the south to predict how flu season might turn out in the Northern Hemisphere.

With COVID-19 showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, a fall, winter an spring with less rampant flu would be well deserved.