Weekly Update: Flu Season is Coming, What Does That Mean?
Flu season is about to begin in the Northern Hemisphere. I got the flu vaccine this week to get ready. It seems likely that catching both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time would increase risk of both mortality and of serious side effects. Worse, an increase in flu patients could increase the pressure on an already stressed healthcare/hospital system. Several news outlets have been predicting a crisis as the flu and the coronavirus collide. While I think that there are risks associated with the convergence of COVID-19 and the flu, I was skeptical that there would be a massive flu burden in the US this season all the way back in March when this fear was first mentioned. I am even more skeptical now. Why is that? There are many reasons, but the most significant is that the level of physical distancing needed to keep COVID-19 under control should crush the flu into near nonexistence. And recent data from the Southern Hemisphere that just finished their flu season confirms this hyp