A potentially dicey phase of the pandemic is almost here: flu season. The yearly influx of infections will soon coincide with SARS-CoV-2 in the Northern Hemisphere. Normally, healthcare practitioners that see patients with flu-like symptoms in late fall, winter and early spring assume the individual has influenza and treat them accordingly. This year is different.
“Going into respiratory virus season, we’re going to have a much harder time knowing what is the cause of a person’s symptoms,” says Lisa Maragakis, the senior director of infection prevention at the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Even with the potential for uncertainty, there are still some practices that physicians recommend everyone follows as the double-whammy draws near — especially if you start to develop symptoms.
For starters, get your flu shot, says Maragakis. These vaccines aren’t perfect — according to the CDC, each yearly flu vaccine bounces between about 20 and 60 percent efficacy. ...
