PHOENIX — With fall right around the corner, some doctors are warning of a “twin-demic” where we see a flu epidemic spread as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
A Mayo Clinic infectious disease expert said while the flu and coronavirus are different, they can be contracted the same way.
He explained that either of them are contracted by breathing the virus in or if it’s introduced into your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands. He added that a lot of the practices we already use to help prevent the spread of COVID can be put in play to help stop the spread of the flu this fall.
“Wearing a mask, physical distancing, and sanitizing your hands along with receiving influenza vaccine is the most powerful thing you can do right now,” said Dr. Greg Poland.
As far as numbers go, Dr. Poland said right now in the U.S., there have been about 200,000 deaths as a result of coronavirus. He says on average, there are somewhere between 60,000 and 90,000 flu-related deaths a year in the U.S.
He added that it’s also important to get your flu vaccine between now and the end of October.