Flu Takes a Back Seat to COVID-19

As the COVID pandemic continues on, the flu has taken a back seat to the virus and numbers are down dramatically across the region. 

NORTHLAND – As the COVID pandemic continues on, the flu has taken a back seat to the virus and numbers are down dramatically across the region.

Both the flu and COVID-19 are transmitted in the same way, and prevention strategies for the coronavirus have helped out with the number of hospitalizations due to the flu.

The current numbers for the flu are very low. For instance, there have been 22 hospitalizations during the 2020 to 2021 flu season in the state. By this time last year, we had hundreds of cases of influenza in Minnesota.

It has been much the same in Wisconsin this year.

Health officials there say it’s all about the behavioral changes that we’ve made for COVID, which have stopped the transmission of all respiratory viruses. Many people also received the flu shot this year as well, which helps with the hospitalization numbers.

“That would be a natural, unintended consequence that is on the positive side,” said Kathy Ronchi, a health officer with the Douglas County Department of Health and Human Services. “That is the mask-wearing, the handwashing, the physical distancing would definitely impact our flu numbers.”

Without having a test, it’s hard to tell the difference between COVID-19 and the flu. In flu season, the tests will help differentiate between the two as you wouldn’t be able to diagnose it at home by yourself with any reliability.

Based on the statistics, if you have symptoms, it’s most likely to be COVID rather than the flu. Loss of taste and smell is also more likely to be associated with COVID.

“It’s very hard,” said Dr. Sara Lund, an infectious disease doctor at St. Luke’s. “They’re overlapping syndromes right, you can get the same symptoms. So it can be fevers, body aches, chills, coughs, respiratory symptoms, stuffiness, congestion.”

Northland health experts also say it’s a good idea to get the flu shot if you haven’t already, as it takes about two weeks for your body to produce antibodies.