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This fall, for the first time, we will have to face the flu season in the middle of another pandemic, that of the coronavirus, say the scientists, who express concern about the coexistence of influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
Professors from the Faculty of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Efstathios Kastritis and Thanos Dimopoulos (rector of EKPA) point out that so far many questions remain about how seasonal flu can affect the Covid-19 pandemic and vice versa.
For example, could influenza infection worsen the course of COVID-19? Could the flu vaccine help protect against COVID-19? Will COVID-19 control measures reduce the incidence of influenza?
But two facts are clear, the teachers emphasize. Faster and more widely available diagnostic tests are needed to distinguish between COVID-19 and influenza, which have similar symptoms, at least initially, but require different treatments.
Second, a “bad” flu season, due to more contagious strains, inadequate vaccination rates, or both, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of recession, could lead to oversaturation of emergency departments. already overcrowded. and UCI.
The distinction between influenza and COVID-19 is extremely important. While the flu’s course is rapid, COVID-19 follows a longer and unpredictable course. Therefore, knowing the cause of respiratory symptoms is important so that doctors know what to expect.
According to the Athens News Agency, teachers estimate that identifying the cause of the infection naturally helps determine the best treatment. Although supportive care for the flu and COVID-19 are similar, the specific treatments differ. If the patient has the flu, a flu-specific antiviral treatment is given, but treating flu patients as if they have COVID-19 is wasteful and potentially harmful.
Also, some people with COVID-19 during flu season without quickly knowing which virus they have may mistakenly attribute their symptoms to flu and fail to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, which is more easily transmitted.
Additionally, the distinction between COVID-19 and influenza will be vital in monitoring the disease, and given the similar symptoms, routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza will be needed during the upcoming influenza season.
Can we reduce the flu along with the coronavirus?
“Intuitively, we understand that wearing face masks, social distancing, working from home, school closings, and other strategies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 will also reduce the transmission of other respiratory infections,” they said. EKPA teachers.
This seems to be the case, for example. in Taiwan: Comparing data from 2016 to 2020, they found a decrease in cases of severe influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, and deaths from pneumonia.
The situation in the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season is now in full swing, may provide further clues as to what we can expect in the Northern Hemisphere in the upcoming flu season. The researchers note that there is an incredibly mild flu season across the entire southern hemisphere, including areas with high COVID-19 activity like Brazil, but keep in mind that we should not assume this will happen in the northern hemisphere. The best explanation is that COVID-19 control strategies limit the spread of other respiratory viruses, but the pessimistic scenario is that COVID-19 has flooded healthcare systems, leaving people with the flu at home and unregistered. or they do not seek treatment, but are lost in the crowd of COVID-19 patients.
The upcoming winter in the Northern Hemisphere has sparked interest in flu vaccines, which could slow down hospital admissions for flu as health systems grapple with the pandemic. However, flu vaccination rates have long been unsatisfactory: Rates among the elderly, the target population for flu vaccination in many countries, range from 2% to 72.8%, depending on the country.
But it could create another blind spot, the teachers say. “Because the flu virus is less prevalent, it means less evidence of which genetic variants are more prevalent and likely to contribute to the next flu season. Laboratories that collect and analyze influenza samples to decide the composition of the flu Next year’s vaccine they say they have received fewer patient samples than in previous years. Insufficient data could therefore lead to a less effective vaccine for the southern hemisphere in 2021. “
Influenza virus infection is one of the most common infections during the winter months and each year in Greece about 150 patients terminate and many are hospitalized in ICU for complications from influenza. In the United States, about 32,000 to 69,000 people die from the flu each year.
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