Flu shots can help ease hospital crowding
As the days and nights get cooler and the leaves fall, we brace ourselves for the start of another flu season.
Flu season typically begins in October, peaks between December and February, and tapers off by April. During the winter months, people spend more time indoors and are close together, which is an opportune time for viruses to spread from person to person. This is the time of year where we generally remind people to do things to prevent becoming infected with the flu virus, such as washing your hands frequently, staying home when you’re sick and making sure you’re up to date on your flu shot.
This year has not been, by any means, a normal year. Since COVID-19 made its appearance in early spring, many things in our lives have changed. For the past several months we have been stressing the importance of frequent handwashing and sanitizing, keeping social distance from others, wearing a mask, and staying home when sick, in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. There were hopes of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, but vaccine trials are still in process.
COVID-19 and influenza are both respiratory illnesses caused by viruses. Symptoms common to both illnesses include fever, chills, cough, fatigue, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, shortness of breath, muscle pain, body aches and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. COVID-19 symptoms can also include change in or loss of taste or smell, which is not typical of the flu.
COVID-19 and flu are both spread by droplets made when the person who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks. These infected droplets can land in the mouth or noses of others nearby. It may also be possible to become infected by touching an object or surface that has virus on it and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
There are several important differences between these two viruses. The first difference is that COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-COV-2 and flu is caused by an influenza virus. COVID-19 appears to spread more easily than the flu and people may be contagious for a longer period of time. There is also the possibility of COVID-19 being spread by people who have no symptoms of illness, which is less commonly seen with the flu.
For reasons that are not entirely clear, COVID-19 causes more serious illnesses in some people. Younger children are a higher risk of severe illness from the flu, while older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of serious complications and death from both COVID-19 and the flu. COVID-19 has caused more than 220,000 deaths in
the United States since the first case was reported in January. Annual deaths in the U.S. from influenza over the past 10 years have ranged between 12,000 and an estimated 61,000 per year.
Since both influenza and COVID-19 are viruses, they cannot be treated with antibiotics. The primary goal for both is treating the symptoms like fever and headache. More severe cases can require hospitalization and, in some cases, can require the patient to be on a ventilator. There are some antiviral medications for influenza infections that can lessen symptoms or shorten the duration of illness by a day or two.
A key difference between COVID-19 and influenza is that we have a vaccine to prevent the flu but we do not yet have a vaccine to prevent the coronavirus. The seasonal flu vaccine is based on research that indicates which influenza viruses will be most common in the upcoming flu season. The vaccine causes your body to make antibodies against the virus, which takes about two weeks to develop after receiving the vaccine. It is important to get a vaccine each year because your body’s immune protection declines over time and the types of flu being targeted in the vaccine can change annually.
The flu vaccine is not perfect and does not guarantee that you will not become sick. People with some chronic medical problems and older adults may develop less immunity. Some studies have shown that people who became sick with the flu despite being vaccinated had less severe illness than people not immunized. Flu vaccines have been shown to prevent millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year as well as preventing tens of thousands of hospitalizations annually.
Since there is not yet a vaccine for COVID-19, the only way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. This is why the medical community strongly recommends wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.
If there continues to be daily increases in COVID-19 infections as flu season progresses, things could get complicated and busy in the emergency departments, hospitals and doctor’s offices in the coming weeks. Getting a flu vaccine this year could be more important than in previous years. By reducing your chances of becoming sick and also reducing the chances for severe illness, you will lessen the burden on the health care system and preserve medical resources for patients who need it.
It is important that we pull together and do the right things to protect ourselves and each other.
Dr. Erika Kube is an emergency physician who works for Mid-ohio Emergency Services and Ohiohealth.
drerikakubemd@gmail.com