Double virus trouble: When COVID-19 meets the flu season
4 years, 2 months ago

Double virus trouble: When COVID-19 meets the flu season

Al Jazeera  

Public health measures for coronavirus can help keep influenza cases down this year, experts say, but there are concerns about the overlap of the two viruses. As the Northern Hemisphere heads into winter, countries face the double threat of the annual flu season overlapping with the continuing coronavirus pandemic. According to interim recommendations for the COVID-19 pandemic, if the flu vaccine is in short supply, two target groups – health workers and older people – should have the highest priority to get vaccinated. Similar symptoms There are concerns about the overlap of the flu season with the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the similarities between the two viruses. The WHO will publish detailed guidelines to help countries better prepare and tackle the upcoming flu season amid COVID-19.

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History of this topic

Doctors Predict What COVID Cases Will Be Like This Fall And Winter
3 months, 1 week ago

Doctors Predict What COVID Cases Will Be Like This Fall And Winter

Huff Post  

d3sign via Getty Images The new COVID-19 shot is the best way to protect yourself from a bad infection this fall and winter. “I anticipate that we will see higher numbers of COVID beginning with the fall and winter months,” said Dr. Matthew Binnicker, the director of clinical virology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “The fall and winter months …

COVID-19 infections not problematic, experts say
4 months, 1 week ago

COVID-19 infections not problematic, experts say

China Daily  

The number of people in China being infected with COVID-19 is fluctuating reasonably and won't be a burden on medical resources or the public, experts said. However, the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases said the percentage of people catching flu and testing positive for COVID-19 rose from 8.9 percent in early July to 18.7 percent late last month. "COVID-19 …

Why Covid-19 is spreading this summer
5 months ago

Why Covid-19 is spreading this summer

BBC  

Why Covid-19 is spreading this summer Getty Images Covid-19 doesn't follow normal seasonal patterns, like other respiratory viruses – waves of infection can happen at any time of year. Getty Images New Covid-19 subvariants are finding new ways to escape the immune system Given the need to protect society’s most vulnerable, studying these continually emerging variants remains crucial for updating …

Flu hangs on in US, fading in some areas and intensifying in others
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Flu hangs on in US, fading in some areas and intensifying in others

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The flu virus is hanging on in the U.S., intensifying in some areas of the country after weeks of an apparent national decline. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Friday showed a continued national drop in flu hospitalizations, but other indicators were up — including the number of states with high or very high levels …

Winter brings surge in respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 variant: Here's how you can protect yourself
11 months ago

Winter brings surge in respiratory viruses, including COVID-19 variant: Here's how you can protect yourself

Hindustan Times  

Winter is here, inflicting its usual array of symptoms — coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever — and, this year, a new COVID-19 variant is dominating the scoreboard. It’s important to take care of yourself if you’re a parent or caregiver of young children, said Sonney who is immediate past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. "Despite …

COVID-19 intensifies across California, with the worst probably still to come
11 months, 2 weeks ago

COVID-19 intensifies across California, with the worst probably still to come

LA Times  

The winter COVID-and-flu season is ramping up in California and nationwide, with doctors and other experts saying the worst of the respiratory illness season is still to come. “And we’re probably not quite to the zenith of it yet,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Looking at some of the data that …

COVID-19 update: WHO asks nations to strengthen surveillance as coronavirus cases rise
1 year ago

COVID-19 update: WHO asks nations to strengthen surveillance as coronavirus cases rise

India TV News  

COVID-19 update: The World Health Organisation has urged countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance given the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including due to COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza. "For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing, and ensure sharing of data," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO South-East Asia. "As people travel and …

The flu is soaring in seven states and rising in others, health officials say
1 year, 1 month ago

The flu is soaring in seven states and rising in others, health officials say

LA Times  

The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity this month in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and …

Vigilance called for as peak flu season starts
1 year, 1 month ago

Vigilance called for as peak flu season starts

China Daily  

By WANG XIAOYU| China Daily| Updated :2023-11-15 Health commission stresses improved monitoring as respiratory illnesses spread China is seeing the circulation of multiple infectious respiratory illnesses this winter, with surging cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, rising cases of influenza flu, but a downward trend in COVID-19 cases in recent days, health authorities and experts said on Monday. Mi Feng, spokesman of …

The covert winter wave of Covid-19
1 year, 11 months ago

The covert winter wave of Covid-19

BBC  

The covert winter wave of Covid-19 Getty Images The coronavirus that caused the pandemic has largely vanished from public discourse – but it's still causing deaths. "We've come to really pay attention when there are very large spikes," says Denis Nash, an epidemiologist at the City University of New York. "The people we’re seeing hospitalised tend to be those who …

Explained | What is the threat from global COVID-19 rise?
1 year, 11 months ago

Explained | What is the threat from global COVID-19 rise?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Union Ministry of Health has issued a communique to States to resume genome sequencing of new cases of COVID-19, in view of the sudden spurt of cases in some parts of the world. In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said sequencing of positive case samples will allow the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium network …

What is the situation in the UK with flu this winter?
2 years ago

What is the situation in the UK with flu this winter?

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. People with flu are advised to let their body rest, get some sleep, stay …

‘Viral jambalaya': Early flu adding to woes for US hospitals
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Viral jambalaya': Early flu adding to woes for US hospitals

Associated Press  

As Americans head into the holiday season, a rapidly intensifying flu season is straining hospitals already overburdened with patients sick from other respiratory infections. In Atlanta, Dr. Mark Griffiths describes the mix as a “viral jambalaya.” He said the children’s hospitals in his area have at least 30% more patients than usual for this time of year, with many patients …

Get ready for the TRIPLEDEMIC this winter: RSV, flu and Covid begin to bite
2 years, 2 months ago

Get ready for the TRIPLEDEMIC this winter: RSV, flu and Covid begin to bite

Daily Mail  

Immunity against them in the population has dropped raising infection risk Doctors warn that other viruses are returning 'with a vengeance' in the US This is prompting fears of a 'tripledemic' hitting the health system this winter Data shows that cases of RSV, flu and Covid are now all starting to rise in the US The US could be thrashed …

WHO says new COVID-19 wave emerging in Europe
2 years, 2 months ago

WHO says new COVID-19 wave emerging in Europe

Al Jazeera  

UN agency’s regional data show only Europe with an increase in coronavirus cases in the week that ended October 2 as infections rose 8 percent from the week before. “Although we are not where we were one year ago, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over,” the WHO’s Europe director, Hans Kluge, and the ECDC’s director, …

How a fresh Covid surge in the UK could be a warning sign for US
2 years, 2 months ago

How a fresh Covid surge in the UK could be a warning sign for US

Daily Mail  

An autumn Covid resurgence in the UK has fueled concerns that the US could be on course for another wave. The US' Covid situation has mirrored Britain's several times in the past — inthe Alpha wave it followed the surge two weeks later on October 14, and in the Omicron wave it also followed about two weeks later on December …

Experts anticipate dual Covid AND flu outbreak
2 years, 2 months ago

Experts anticipate dual Covid AND flu outbreak

Daily Mail  

The 'twindemic' is being felt in the south, with Texas reporting a quadrupling of cases in the past month Both Covid and flu could surge this winter causing a dreaded 'twindemic', experts fear — with some southern states already feeling the early stages of an influenza resurgence. The virus is being felt the most across the US south, with Texas, …

‘Twindemic’ warning as health chiefs launch Covid and flu vaccination drive
2 years, 2 months ago

‘Twindemic’ warning as health chiefs launch Covid and flu vaccination drive

The Telegraph  

Health chiefs have warned of a Covid and flu “twindemic” this winter as they launched a renewed vaccination drive. Around 33 million people in England will be eligible for a free flu vaccination this year, while 26 million are also eligible for an autumn Covid-19 booster. Officials at the UK Health Security Agency warned there will be lower levels of …

COVID cases triple across Europe and hospitalizations double, WHO says
2 years, 5 months ago

COVID cases triple across Europe and hospitalizations double, WHO says

LA Times  

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that coronavirus cases have tripled across Europe in the last six weeks, accounting for nearly half of all infections globally. “Just because a mask isn’t mandated doesn’t mean it’s prohibited.” The 53 countries in the WHO’s European region, which stretches to central Asia, reported nearly 3 million new coronavirus infections last week. “With rising …

For now, wary US treads water with transformed COVID-19
2 years, 5 months ago

For now, wary US treads water with transformed COVID-19

Associated Press  

The fast-changing coronavirus has kicked off summer in the U.S. with lots of infections but relatively few deaths compared to its prior incarnations. “It’s going to be a good summer and we deserve this break,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. “For the first time that I can remember, pretty …

WHO says COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
2 years, 7 months ago

WHO says COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa

The Hindu  

The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa, the World Health Organisation said in its latest assessment of the pandemic. In its weekly pandemic report released late on May 10, the U.N. health agency said about 3.5 million new cases and more than 25,000 deaths were reported globally, which respectively …

Covid Australia: Top doctor warns of winter flu surge on top of Omicron wave
2 years, 10 months ago

Covid Australia: Top doctor warns of winter flu surge on top of Omicron wave

Daily Mail  

Australia is set to face in coming months the dual threat of a fresh Omicron wave and the first major surge of flu cases since the pandemic began. That's the assessment of the country's chief medical officer Paul Kelly, who said winter would bring fresh challenges to Australia's COVID-19 response. Professor Kelly said the coming winter would also bring with …

Pandemic or endemic: Where is COVID heading next?
2 years, 10 months ago

Pandemic or endemic: Where is COVID heading next?

Al Jazeera  

Some political leaders are calling for COVID to be treated as an endemic disease, but scientists warn that talk of a pandemic endgame is premature. “I think we are leading Europe in the transition from pandemic to endemic and we’re leading the way in showing the world how you can live with COVID.” However, officials from the World Health Organization …

Covid-19 marches toward endemic status in US as Omicron spreads
3 years ago

Covid-19 marches toward endemic status in US as Omicron spreads

Live Mint  

The Omicron variant’s aggressive advance is the latest twist in the course of a disease that public-health experts say is on a path toward becoming endemic in the U.S. “I don’t think there’s going to be a day where the whole thing feels over," said Joshua Schiffer, an associate professor in the vaccine and infectious disease division at Fred Hutchinson …

Covid-19 could eventually be seasonal, scientists say
3 years ago

Covid-19 could eventually be seasonal, scientists say

CNN  

CNN — The United States has been through waves, spikes and surges of Covid-19 throughout the pandemic, and now there is concern that the nation may be entering a new winter surge. “We need more research to disentangle all the factors that may link seasonality to Covid-19 cases,” Dr. Hawre Jalal, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, told CNN. …

How will the COVID pandemic affect flu season?
3 years, 1 month ago

How will the COVID pandemic affect flu season?

Al Jazeera  

Experts say Northern Hemisphere countries face an unpredictable winter as COVID continues to spread during the flu season. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are four types of influenza viruses A, B, C and D. But “human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease known as flu season.” People with influenza …

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! How do I stay unsick?
3 years, 1 month ago

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! How do I stay unsick?

NPR  

Coronavirus FAQ: It's cold and flu season — and COVID season! It's certainly true that the flu did not spread much last year: Just.2% of respiratory specimens from clinical labs and public health departments participating in national disease surveillance tested positive for flu during the 2020-2021 season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to between 26.2% …

Australia's path from pandemic to endemic, and what 'living with COVID' could mean
3 years, 2 months ago

Australia's path from pandemic to endemic, and what 'living with COVID' could mean

ABC  

The COVID-19 pandemic won't end with a bang, but more likely a fizzle — and a long, protracted one at that. "I don't know if we're going to wake up one day and say, 'Oh, it's over now,'" says Eddie Holmes, an evolutionary virologist at the University of Sydney. Key points: Most experts agree eradicating COVID-19 is now almost certainly …

Influenza cases hit an all-time low in Australia in 2021 — that could be a problem when it returns
3 years, 3 months ago

Influenza cases hit an all-time low in Australia in 2021 — that could be a problem when it returns

ABC  

If you have been thinking the flu has virtually disappeared from our lives, you are not wrong. Mal Greig is the treasurer of the Windsor Bowls Club — a place normally impacted by severe influenza seasons — and said the flu was a "non-existent issue" this year. Professor Barr said the closure of schools — normally a "hot bed for …

Will Covid-19 settle down as a seasonal illness after pandemic ends?
3 years, 6 months ago

Will Covid-19 settle down as a seasonal illness after pandemic ends?

India Today  

The only infectious disease to have been entirely eliminated till date, according to the World Health Organisation, is smallpox. The researchers examining the current Covid-19 pandemic trend and comparing it with past pandemics are of the view that the coronavirus infection may become endemic, and end as a seasonal illness. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that is often compared with …

US will have to work double time to make up for Covid-19 vaccine weather delays, Fauci says
3 years, 10 months ago

US will have to work double time to make up for Covid-19 vaccine weather delays, Fauci says

CNN  

CNN — The US will have to work “double time” to make up for Covid-19 vaccination delays this week caused by the winter weather that has ravaged much of the country, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci. Spokesperson Glenn Zaccara told CNN the company was in “regular and frequent contact” with federal agencies and vaccine manufacturers, with talks occurring “often hourly.” …

Global temperature shifts may play critical role in COVID-19 spread and vulnerability, reveals new study
4 years ago

Global temperature shifts may play critical role in COVID-19 spread and vulnerability, reveals new study

Firstpost  

The researchers found that countries with a mean temperature above 27 degrees Celsius showed unusually low death rates in March and April Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists across the globe have conducted research into a possible connection between changes in temperatures or humidity and increases or decreases in case rates across the globe. Moderately cold countries …

Is It Possible To Get COVID-19 And The Flu At The Same Time?
4 years, 1 month ago

Is It Possible To Get COVID-19 And The Flu At The Same Time?

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING As the coronavirus pandemic surges to record highs across the country, flu season is off to an unusually slow start. Some evidence on influenza co-infections suggests a short window exists in which one viral infection could inhibit a second viral infection from successfully fusing with our cells, according to Dean Winslow, an infectious disease specialist with Stanford …

Could COVID-19 Spread More in the Winter Season?
4 years, 1 month ago

Could COVID-19 Spread More in the Winter Season?

News 18  

Winter is just around the corner for the Northern Hemisphere and with it come the speculations of how the pandemic might take a turn. Since most respiratory diseases including cold and flu spread quickly in winters, some experts have indicated that COVID-19 cases may also increase with a drop in temperature and humidity. A study done in China indicated that …

How Covid-19 is changing the flu
4 years, 2 months ago

How Covid-19 is changing the flu

BBC  

How Covid-19 is changing the flu Getty Images Humanity hasn’t always lived with the flu. Getty Images A universal flu vaccine might give us immunity to the disease no matter how much it mutates from season to season “We don't really understand it, but it may have to and may have to do with a little bit of changes in …

Allergies, Colds, Flu And COVID-19: How To Best Prep For Fall's 'Sick Season'
4 years, 2 months ago

Allergies, Colds, Flu And COVID-19: How To Best Prep For Fall's 'Sick Season'

NPR  

Allergies, Colds, Flu And COVID-19: How To Best Prep For Fall's 'Sick Season' Enlarge this image toggle caption sestovic/Getty Images sestovic/Getty Images You might have hoped the coronavirus pandemic would cancel what we doctors usually think of as "sick season," but as cool weather signals the annual arrival of autumn allergies, colds and flu in the U.S., sick season is …

US Faces a Smoldering Covid-19 Pandemic Nationwide as Flu Season Starts
4 years, 3 months ago

US Faces a Smoldering Covid-19 Pandemic Nationwide as Flu Season Starts

News 18  

As the United States approaches the miserable mark of 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus, the pandemic is no longer focused on one or two epicenters. Although new cases are down about 50% from the peak in July, the United States is still reporting on average nearly 40,000 new infections a day – the highest number in the developed world. Top …

Twindemic? Besieged by Covid, US to face 'worst' autumn as flu season begins
4 years, 3 months ago

Twindemic? Besieged by Covid, US to face 'worst' autumn as flu season begins

India Today  

As the United States approaches the miserable mark of 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus, the pandemic is no longer focused on one or two epicentres. Although new cases are down about 50% from the peak in July, the United States is still reporting on average nearly 40,000 new infections a day - the highest number in the developed world. Top …

US coronavirus: Measures may help blunt flu season
4 years, 3 months ago

US coronavirus: Measures may help blunt flu season

CNN  

CNN — The United States may not see a “double whammy” this fall of both the coronavirus and influenza, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. They also noted that the summer circulation of the flu is “currently at historical lows.” This will be the most important flu season in the country’s history, said US Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. “We need …

Coronavirus Today: What will flu season bring?
4 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus Today: What will flu season bring?

LA Times  

I’m Faith E. Pinho, a breaking news reporter at The Times, and I’ll be writing the Coronavirus Today newsletter this week. And although cases here have surpassed the 700,000 mark, California’s case count when adjusted for population is dwarfed by 20 other states, including Southern hot spots such as Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. So why wouldn’t they notice?” While COVID-19 …

COVID-19 lockdowns blocked flu in some places but fall looms
4 years, 3 months ago

COVID-19 lockdowns blocked flu in some places but fall looms

Associated Press  

JOHANNESBURG — Winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere and country after country -- South Africa, Australia, Argentina -- had a surprise: Their steps against COVID-19 also apparently blocked the flu. But it also could be one of the best flu seasons we’ve had,” Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated …

As flu season nears, some health experts brace for a ‘twindemic’
4 years, 3 months ago

As flu season nears, some health experts brace for a ‘twindemic’

LA Times  

Winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere and country after country — South Africa, Australia, Argentina — had a surprise: Their steps against COVID-19 also apparently blocked the flu. But it also could be one of the best flu seasons we’ve had,” said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. health officials are …

Prepare for a potential uptick in Covid-19 infections this winter
4 years, 5 months ago

Prepare for a potential uptick in Covid-19 infections this winter

CNN  

CNN — Health care systems in many places struggle in winter. Conditions such as asthma, heart attacks and stroke tend to worsen in colder temperatures, and some infectious diseases like influenza sp This year, the coronavirus pandemic could create the perfect winter storm, and scientists say countries need to prepare for a potential uptick in cases that could be more …

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