| ask the expert
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COVID-19 AND THE FLU
A potential double whammy this winter | BY DR. ANDREW PODOS
t’s understandable that so much of the public’s focus is on COVID-19; it’s a new disease that we’re learning more about every day. It’s affecting tens of millions of people across the world. While its effects on children aren’t fully understood, we do know kids can be infected with this coronavirus strain, fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, and they can spread the virus to others. As we welcome winter, everyone should be reminded that COVID-19 isn’t the only respiratory illness we need to take steps to prevent. School vacations, holiday gatherings and cooler weather mean that all respiratory illnesses will likely increase in prevalence, as they typically do when people gather indoors. It’s a fact that close contact with other people increases transmission of these illnesses. COVID-19 has proven more deadly than influenza, but we can’t overlook the possible severity of the flu. There were more than 30 million U.S. cases of flu last year, while as of midNovember 2020, there were about 11 million U.S. cases of COVID-19. The flu is a nasty illness, and kids can be more susceptible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last flu season had one of the highest recorded numbers for pediatric flu deaths. Due to COVID-19, there are several new problems that will arise this flu season. Although you or someone
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you love might not be at risk for COVID, an increasing number of COVID cases means that medical resources are being stretched to their limits and may become unavailable. With high numbers of people being hospitalized and/or going to ERs and physician offices for COVID-19-related issues, it reduces available resources for patients who may become ill with the flu or other illnesses. Another problem is that it’s hard to distinguish between the flu and COVID-19. They both have very similar symptoms, so it’s often not possible for a physician to tell if you have COVID-19 or the flu without a test. This can create anxiety and confusion in homes, at workplaces, and in schools as people become concerned that they’re experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak. Another potential issue is the possibility of co-infection. Some viral infections have the ability to occur simultaneously with another infection. This means it’s possible that during the flu season, you could get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Because COVID-19 is a new illness, the medical community is not yet clear whether this co-infection could create a more severe illness than when COVID-19 or the flu are acquired individually. The best way to prevent flu is with a flu vaccine. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a seasonal flu vaccine by the end of October. However, as long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination should continue throughout flu season,
even into January or later. Getting vaccinated has been shown to reduce flu illnesses, doctor visits, missed work and school days, and to reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization and death in children. Flu shots are available at physician offices, pharmacies and the Florida Department of Health. If you do get the flu, there are medicines available for treating it, but they are limited in their effectiveness for a few reasons. First, flu medicines need to be taken soon after the start of the illness to be effective. This can be a challenge because you or your child might not show symptoms until a day or two after the illness starts. It’s also important to realize that flu medicines are not a cure, they merely shorten the duration of the illness by a day or two by limiting replication of the virus. Unfortunately, medicines to treat the flu often make kids sick to their stomachs and can cause vomiting. Flu medicine can also be expensive. Your mother and grandmother were right; prevention is the best medicine. It’s better to avoid getting infected in the first place than it is to rely on medicines to try to treat your symptoms once you’re already sick. COVID-19 has taught us all a lot this year, and as we enter the peak of cold and flu season, don’t forget that the lessons of COVID-19 also apply to the prevention of cold and flu. To prevent getting sick, get a flu shot, wear face masks, practice social distancing when possible, and wash your hands often and thoroughly.
