Flu cases were low in the 2020-2021 season. However, the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions may have led to a resurgence of cases.
Vaccines play a crucial role in controlling the disease. Wearing masks, washing hands, and socializing also play an important role. With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, experts warn that we could be in for a struggle. Experts warn that a resurgence of the flu, associated with an increase in patients in the autumn, could lead to a “pandemic,” adding to the strain on our health system.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the cases of flooded sources were low in the 2020-2021 season. In fact, between September 28, 2020, and May 22, 2021, only 0.2 percent of 8,189,939 samples analyzed by U.S. laboratories tested positive for the virus.
CDC also reports that we are likely to see an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 as we prepare for fall. There is an expectation that influenza will return to pre-pandemic levels later this year when many restrictions on Covid 19, such as masks and social isolation, are lifted in many areas.
As of September 6, 47,728 new cases are in reports, with a 7-day moving average of 127,100 patients. By comparison, as of June 20 this year, 9014 new cases are in reports, with a 7-day average of 11,729 patients.
Safety measures that slow the spread of COVID-19
Although many of us wear masks and practice good hand hygiene and social detachment. This flu season has been milder than in recent years, says Karen L. Edwards, Ph.D. professor and chair of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, Irvine. She explains that these steps help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases besides influenza. While it is popular on social media to point out that flu cases have fallen compared to last year because they are wrongly reported as COVID, experts say there are forces at play that are more sinister. Dr. S. Wesley Long, the researcher at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, agrees.
Suppose the simple relaxation measures such as masks and social dissociation measures in many areas. We could see an increase in non-COVID-19 respiratory diseases such as the Common Cold and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV ). There will likely be a global lockout, combined with masquerading and other social dissociation measures, to reduce international travel, Long says. This could lead to a lower flu season in the southern hemisphere, followed by a lighter flu season in the northern hemisphere.
In addition, we could see a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases, with the delta variant peaking in some parts of the country. I think this fourth wave will have a longer tail, and the shape of the next wave will depend on vaccine rates, masking, and social distancing, as well as the potential for further development of the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” he added. He added that while there is likely to be an increase in flu cases, it is difficult to predict what will look like during the flu season. Like Edwards, he stressed the importance of vaccination, a control potential for flu during the Covid-19 twins.
Vaccinations will play a key role in controlling infections.
Different viruses cause them, and each requires additional vaccinations. Edwards said that people should have complete vaccination against both influenza and COVID-19 if they can. He added that he believes vaccinations are crucial to preventing twin births this fall.
Steps we can take to prevent a twindemic
He said it is difficult to predict what will happen because it depends on the flu vaccination rate and the flu season’s underlying behavior. “I think it’s safe to say we’re going to have more flu cases this year than in 2020,” he said. He believes that all can prevent twin infection if everyone does their part, including vaccination.
In addition to vaccination, Edwards says it is essential to continue the protective measures we took against COVID-19 last year. Masks, hand-washing, and social isolation can do much to prevent the spread of the flu and coronavirus. He added that it’s also essential to stay at home when you’re sick and get tested if you have symptoms. If you know you have the flu or COVID, it can help you avoid transmission to others.