Twindemic: An Outlook on This Year’s Flu Season and COVID-19

Written by Leslie K. Hughes

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but you can expect this year’s flu season to be a doozie. 

This is especially true when you compare it to last year. The 2020-2021 flu season was one of the least active we’ve seen. In fact, the cases were at an all-time low. 

There were 2,038 reported cases of the flu last year which may mean nothing to you until you take a look at the number of cases that were reported during 2019-2020. During that flu season, 38 million people were sick with the flu, so when you consider that versus the 2,038 cases last year, you understand that the difference is quite amazing. 

So why will we see the numbers jump back up to the millions for the 2021-2022 flu season? Let’s get into it. 

Why is this flu season predicted to be worse?

There are a few reasons why scientists expect this flu season to hit the United States hard.

• Lack of natural immunity. It is common for flu seasons to be less severe when some of the population has a natural immunity that results from getting the flu the previous year. However, because people for the most part were quarantining last year, not as many people got the flu which means there is a lower chance for natural immunity with this year’s strains. 

• School is back. Many children are back in school where infections pass much more quickly and easily. Adults are primarily still working from home so the risk with them is not as high as it is with children in school. 

• Less information about this year’s strains. The flu shot this year is thought to not be as accurate in terms of determining what strains to protect from. This is because there were so few cases last year, meaning there wasn’t much of the virus going around. Why is this a problem? Because researchers have less information to work with when determining what strains to protect against with the vaccine. 

• More businesses are open. This time last year, the country looked very different in terms of what businesses were open. While the reopening of in-person businesses is great news for the economy and business owners, it is not great news when it comes to the flu. There is more opportunity for the virus to spread now that more people are out and about. 

• Travel is back. Though there are still some places closed for travel, restrictions are much less strict than they were last flu season. Also, people feel more comfortable traveling now than this time last year, which means the chances for the virus to spread from place to place are greater. 

• Fewer flu vaccines. People’s focus is on the COVID-19 vaccine right now, which means not as many are likely to get the flu vaccine. The level of fatigue reported from the COVID-19 vaccines is enough that some people feel they don’t want to make matters even worse by getting yet another vaccine, which in this case is the flu vaccine. People feel the flu is the lesser of two evils. 

With the above factors, some think that we may suffer from what is called a twindemic this year – a combination of the COVID-19 and flu pandemics. We are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and we may see the flu reach high levels of infection this year as well. 

Who is at the highest risk of serious complications from the flu? 

According to the CDC, there are a few different groups of people who have the highest risk of complications if infected with the flu virus: 

• Adults 65 and older

• Adults with chronic health conditions

• Children under the age of 2

• People with asthma

• People with neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions

• People with blood disorders

• People with endocrine disorders

• People with heart disease

• People with kidney disease

• People with liver disease

• People who are obese

• People with metabolic disorders

What is the best way to protect yourself against the flu?

To protect yourself and others from the spread of the flu this year, here are some things you can do:

1. Wear a mask. Whenever you are out in public, wear a mask to help provide a barrier for germs. 

2. Socially distance. Though it seems people aren’t socially distancing as intensely as they were last year, it is smart to keep your distance from others. This can help protect you from picking up germs from others and also protect others from picking up germs from you. 

3. Wash your hands. This practice is a tried and true way to keep yourself safe when germs are running rampant. 

4. Avoid touching your face. Germs are easily spread by touching something contaminated and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. You can avoid this by washing your hands regularly and making an effort not to touch your face (your skin will thank you for this, too).  

5. Get vaccinated. By getting the flu vaccine, you increase your chances of protecting yourself against the virus. Though a vaccine does not guarantee you won’t get the flu, it does lower your chances and hopefully lowers the severity of the infection if you do get it. 

Schedule an appointment with Sameday Health to get your flu vaccine today.