SAN DIEGO — Last year's flu season turned out to be the mildest on record according to the C.D.C., but as we gear up for this year's season, experts are warning us of a possible "twin-demic," in which flu and COVID cases rise simultaneously and overwhelm hospitals.
"We’re looking at a pretty tough winter with delta raging right now and flu season right around the corner," said family practitioner Dr. Jyotu Sandhu with Sharp Rees-Stealy. He said contracting both viruses at the same time could be serious.
"They’re both respiratory infections," said Dr. Sandhu. "They both can kill and synergistically, when infected together, they can have very bad outcomes."
He said even if someone is healthy, they can be affected by these viruses.
"A dual respiratory infection doesn’t look good for most people," said Dr. Sandhu. "I don’t care how healthy you are, if you can’t breathe, you can’t breathe."
With flu season kicking into high gear from December through February, Dr. Sandhu recommends that people get the flu shot by October.
"You want to give your body enough time to mount that response so you’re adequately protected for those later months," said Dr,. Sandhu.
On average, 40,000 - 50,000 Americans die from the flu every year, and with COVID-19 added to the mix, he stresses the importance of prevention.
"If you protect yourself and get vaccinated to both, then if you happen to be one of those breakthrough infections, it won’t be that big of an issue for you," said Dr. Sandhu.
He said getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.
"We don’t know if the medical community is going to be able to take that kind of bombardment of people so we’re just telling people to stay safe and prevent the infection to begin with," said Dr. Sandhu.
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