As COVID surges, only 19 people test positive for flu in Connecticut
As the second wave of
COVID-19 surges in Connecticut, flu cases are far lower than normal, according to data from the state Department of Public Health.
On Friday, DPH released the latest flu data, which showed only 19 people tested positive for the flu as of Dec. 12. Seven people have been hospitalized and there has been one flu-associated death.
One hospitalized flu patient was also infected with COVID-19, the state reports.
Though there had been concerns of a “twindemic” with a robust flu season and a resurgence of CO
VID-19, flu activity appears much lower than normal this year. For instance, the state reported
69 Connecticut residents had already been hospitalized with the flu in early December of last year.
By the week of Dec. 29 of last year, there had already been 472 influenza-associated hospitalizations and 1,613 people had tested positive for flu.
But it has quickly become clear this will be a calmer year for flu than usual, said Dr. Corina Marcu, associate vice president of medical affairs at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport.
“What you need to do to prevent spread of COVID works very well for flu,” she said. “If you’re wearing a mask, keeping your distance and washing and sanitizing your hands properly,” it’s less likely that someone will contract the flu.
Marcu said St. Vincent’s hasn’t seen much flu activity this season. “No person has needed to be hospitalized (at St. Vincent’s) for flu,” she said.
Flu and COVID-19 can carry many of the same symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. Other COVID-19 symptoms, including loss of taste or smell, are not common with flu.
Not only is flu activity low in Connecticut, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported fewer cases than normal nationwide. The CDC reported flu activity has been low or minimal in nearly all states, including Connecticut.
DPH has identified Connecticut flu level as “sporadic,” meaning a small number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases or a single laboratory-confirmed outbreak has been reported, but there is no increase in cases of influenza-like illness.
Among the cases identified in the state so far, 15 were an unspecified type of influenza A, and the remaining four were influenza type B, according to the DPH data.