Health officials have recently recommended administering a flu vaccine to people aged six months and above to avoid the so-called "double whammy."
A HeraldNet report sad "last year was the flu season" that was not, and this year remains a good question.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Yuan-Po Tu at The Everett Clinic said, no one really knows exactly what will take place.
The bad flu season, combined with this COVID-19 pandemic or now called the "Twindemic," as explained by UCHealth Today, did not occur in the 2020 to 2021 session.
The social contact helping transmits influenza was minimal. Students studied from home, big events were prohibited, stores were less capacity, and people were all masked up.
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Medical experts are hoping the flu shot will help prevent a ‘twindemic,’ an epidemic of influenza paired with a COVID-19 infection, resulting in overwhelmed hospitals amid the pandemic.
Rapid Disappearance of Influenza in 2020
Tu explained, influenza just rapidly vanished in March last year, when COVID-19 occurred. In 2020, explained the infectious disease specialist, "we had barely a ripple." COVID-19 fully dominated the landscape.
No flu deaths were reported in Washington state for the 2020021 seasons, from fall until spring. During the 2019 to 2020 season, 11 individuals died from the flu in Snohomish County and over 100 in the state.
Most of these people were seniors who had underlying medical conditions. Flu and COVID-19 are both particularly hazardous for people who have chronic health problems and seniors.
To date, the fast-transmitting Delta variant, which has resulted in the rise in case of rates among children, makes COVID-19 even worse.
Recommended for People 6 Months and Older
Young children cannot be given COVID-19 jabs, although they can be given flu shots. The flu shot signs, seemingly greeting people at drugstores and grocery shops, serve as a reminder of the threatening virus outdone by COVID-19.
In connection to this, Tu advised eligible people to get the flu shot but delay several weeks. He explained that everybody, six months and older, need to get a flu shot from October 1 or late this month.
The flu shot provides one a boost in his immunity, although it declines each month, thereafter, continued explaining Tu.
Waiting a bit keeps an individual charged up during up in the winter months during peak season. Influenza, continued Tu, clinically looks quite much like COVID-19.
Vaccine Effects
The infectious disease expert also said both vaccines for influenza and COVID-19 result in body aches, fevers, chills, cough, and headaches. The difference, though, is that the latter-mentioned is around 10 times more fatal compared to flu.
Tests can determine if the infection is COVID-19 or flu. However, this report specified that people could get both viruses at the same time. Both are spread through droplets made when coughing, sneezing, or even talking or singing.
However, they are resulting from different viruses. Certainly, it helps that hand washing, long taught to prevent the spread of influenza, is now a way of life.
Ty cautioned, now is not the time "to let your guard down." The Centers Disease Control for Disease Control and Prevention the flu vaccines shield against four different variants. People aged 65 years and above receive an enhanced flu vaccine.
The shots may not be considered a hundred percent protection, although they reduce the disease severity and the risk of deaths related to flu.
According to the CDC, both vaccines for COVID-19 and flu can be given at the same time. Tu explained flu shots lessen the pressures on the medical systems in mid-winter.
Related report about 'twindemic' is shown on CBS News's YouTube video below:
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