Experts continue to worry about the forthcoming “twindemic” this fall of COVID-19 and influenza.
Will COVID and flu spread at the same time?
Dr. TingTing Wong, an infectious disease specialist at New York-Presbyterian Medical Group Brooklyn, told Fox News that the flu and COVID-19 will likely hit at the same time this fall and winter, creating a threat for doctors, hospitals and health care facilities.
It will be especially problematic, he said, because people aren’t taking as much precaution against COVID-19 and the flu in 2021 as they did in 2020.
- “This year, however, we are heading into the flu season with more relaxed restrictions and the situation will allow for increased chance of respiratory illness transmissions,” he told Fox News. “We saw a similar uptick of ‘summer colds’ caused by other viruses (for example RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, and rhino viruses, etc.) this summer as restrictions relaxed and the fear is a similar uptick of flu cases this fall/winter season.”
- “Bottom line, please get the flu vaccine early!” Wong said.
When can you get your flu shot?
The flu season will kick up soon as there aren’t any expected delays, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Walgreens recently announced the availability of its flu shots amid the COVID-19 vaccinations.
When does flu season start?
Indeed, experts are concerned that this winter will see typical flu cases as students head back to school and states have loosened their restrictions, USA Today reports. It doesn’t help that COVID-19 is surging at the same time.
- “We were worried about the ‘twindemic’ last year and we face the same threat this year,” Dr. Daniel Solomon, a physician in the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told USA Today. “COVID-19 is likely to continue, and we face the threat of dual respiratory viruses that could put a strain on our health care system.”
How many flu cases were there in 2021?
Indeed, The U.S. saw a record low amount of flu cases in the 2020-2021 winter season because people were taking precautions against COVID-19.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu pretty much vanished from the U.S. because people were being cautious against COVID-19, There were only 1,675 flu cases from Sept. 28 to May 22 for the entire United States in 2020.