Sunday Territorian

Covid will be like flu

- JENNIFER DUDLEY-NICHOLSON

BOOSTER shots, seasonal infections, and reminders to wash our hands: living with Covid will share similariti­es to living with the flu in future, epidemiolo­gists say, removing the need for widespread lockdowns and controvers­ial restrictio­ns like curfews and playground closures.

But the new-found freedoms will hinge on Australia’s vaccinatio­n rate; there could be setbacks as new variants emerge; and masks will make an occasional comeback.

Griffith University professor and epidemiolo­gist Dr Paul Van Buynder said despite a shaky start to Australia’s vaccinatio­n rollout, plagued by shortages and miscommuni­cation, “a path out of this” pandemic was emerging.

While some restrictio­ns would still be needed, he said, high levels of vaccinatio­n would deliver the freedom to treat Covid-19 in a similar way to influenza.

“It will still keep bubbling along and you’ll have to get a vaccine booster every year,” Dr Van Buynder said.

“I’m confident we will get these boosters and people will be even more highly protected in the first half of next year.”

Dr Van Buynder said many Australian­s were unaware of the flu’s real impact on public health, as many confused it with common colds.

Data shows more than 300,000 cases of influenza were confirmed in Australia in 2019 and more than 900 Australian­s died from the virus in what experts called “one of the worst flu seasons on record”.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics also recorded 4124 deaths due to the flu and pneumonia in 2019, making them the ninth leading cause of death that year.

Mater Hospitals infectious diseases director Dr Paul Griffin said while influenza and Covid-19 were “vastly different viruses,” the way to manage their spread in Australia in the months to come would have similariti­es if Australian­s achieved a high rate of vaccinatio­n.

“(The flu and Covid) will both be something we see going forward and we’ll have to have regular vaccinatio­ns and boosters,” Dr Griffin said.

“We’ll also have to be able to manage surges (like flu seasons) and that will include an infection control element as well as managing influxes of patients.”

Dr Griffin said there were still unknown elements about living with Covid-19 in Australia, as scientists developed antiviral treatments for the disease and identified the optimal period between immunisati­on boosters.

But he said the Covid vaccines were more effective than flu vaccines.

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