FLU SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE
CORNER -- AND THIS YEAR -- THERE
IS HEIGHTENED CONCERN AROUND THE
CORONAVIRUS. BRAD:
NBC4'S JENNIFER BULLOCK SPOKE
WITH
DOCTORS ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD DO
TO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
FLU SEASON AND COVID- 19 ARE ON
A COLLISION
COURSE.
DR. KEITH ARMITAGE, UH
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST:
"IF WE HAD A BUSY FLU SEASON
WHEN THE HOSPITALS WERE FULL OF
FLU PATIENTS AND BUSY COVID
SEASON, WE COULD REALLY TAX THE
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM."
MEDICAL EXPERTS ARE URGING
PEOPLE TO GET
THE FLU VACCINE -- ESPECIALLY
THIS YEAR.
DR. DAVID MARGOLIUS,
METROHEALTH: "IF YOU GOT THE FLU
AND YOU RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM
COVID 19 OR YOU GOT COVID 19 A
FEW WEEKS AFTERWARDS, IT WOULD
JUST DO SO MUCH DAMAGE TO YOUR
BODY."
THE VACCINE DOES NOT PREVENT
COVID-19, BUT... DR. DAVID
MARGOLIUS, METROHEALTH: "KEEPING
YOURSELF SAFE FROM FLU IS GOING
TO KEEP YOUR BODY AS HEALTHY AS
POSSIBLE, KEEP YOU HEALTHY AS
POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT OFF
THE CORONAVIRUS IF YOU WERE TO
GET THAT AS WELL."
DOCTORS ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S A
PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION
THAT DOESN'T GET THE VACCINE
EVERY YEAR.
DR. KEITH ARMITAGE, UH
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST:
"I HOPE IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T GO
DOWN THIS YEAR AS THERE'S MORE
FOCUS ON VACCINES."
DR. DAVID MARGOLIUS,
METROHEALTH: "GENERALLY WE SEE
THAT ABOUT 50-60 PERCENT OF
PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY DO GET
THE FLU VACCINE AND SO WE'RE
HOPING THAT THIS YEAR WE CAN HIT
60 PERCENT MAYBE
70 PERCENT OF PEOPLE." HOSPITAL
SYSTEMS ARE PREPARING AND
WATCHING FOR DATA INDICATING THE
START OF THE FLU SEASON.
DR. DAVID MARGOLIUS,
METROHEALTH: "WE'LL BE PAYING
CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT AND THAT
WILL START TO GUIDE OUR
TREATMENT."
DR. KEITH ARMITAGE, UH
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST:
"I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE SOME SWAB
TEST FOR BOTH." PEOPLE ARE
ENCOURAGED TO GET THE SHOT IN
SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER. DR. DAVID
MARGOLIUS, METROHEALTH: "IT WILL
LAST THROUGH THE FLU SEASON AT
THIS POINT."
DOCTORS AT BOTH UNIVERSITY
HOSPITALS
AND METRO HEALTH ARE CAUTIOUSLY
OPTIMISTIC
THAT CURRENT COVID PRECAUTIONS
WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO A MILDER FLU
SEASON. DR. KEITH ARMITAGE, UH
INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST:
"THERE IS EVIDENCE FROM SOME
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE COUNTRIES
WHERE THERE WAS HIGH MASK
COMPLIANCE AND SOME REASONABLE
SOCIAL DISTANCING THAT THERE WAS
A LOT LESS INFLUENZA. SO WE'RE
HOPEFUL FOR THAT." THE SYMPTOMS
FOR BOTH VIRUSES ARE SIMILAR AND
BOTH COME WITH A WARNING. DR.
DAVID MARGOLIUS,
METROHEALTH: "THEY'RE BOTH TWO
DANGEROUS VIRUSES THAT ARE OUT
THERE."
JENNIFER BULLOCK: "THE CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL RECOMMENDS
ALL PEOPLE SIX MONTHS AND OLDER
GET A YEARLY FLU SHOT. LOCAL 4
YOU, JENNIFER BULLOCK, NBC4."
