This time last year, there were 90 flu-related hospitalizations in the week and 262 overall.
“So far we’ve had abnormally low flu activity,” said Dr. Jamie Yunger, director of the Intensive Care Unit at Atrium Medical Center. “But we could see a burst of flu later.”
Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County said the flu activity level this year has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Many of the same precautions for COVID protect you from the flu,” said spokesman for Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County, “like washing your hands, social distancing and wearing a mask. People, overall, are not getting together like they did last year.”
Yunger said less domestic and international travel has likely also helped keep flu numbers down for now.
Montgomery County has had two flu-related hospitalizations since the start of flu season. Greene and Warren counties have had one. Miami County has had two hospitalizations.
Butler, Clark and Champaign counties haven’t had any influenza-related hospitalizations this flu season, according to the Ohio Department of Health data.
This time last year, Montgomery County had 32 flu-related hospitalizations.
About 11,000 Ohioans were hospitalized due to the flu in the 2019-2020 season from Oct. 1 through May 16, according to the final season report from Ohio Department of Health. Confirmed flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio had been above the five-year average for the first two months of 2019 and started declining in March before going aggressively down in April and May.
Each flu season is different, Suffoletto said, and a past season can’t predict what is going to happen the following season.
Yunger said the flu season in Australia was minimal. Australia’s flu season can typically signal how bad the flu season will be in the northern hemisphere, but Yunger said it can’t be taken as a trend this year. The coronavirus pandemic has hit that region differently that it has the U.S.
“They’ve done a better job of social distancing and had more lockdowns than we have,” Yunger said. “You really can’t predict the flu. We should assume we’re going to have a significant flu season here and if we don’t, that’s fantastic.”
Suffoletto said it is not too late to get a flu shot. Annual flu shots have long been recommended for all people six months and older, with rare exceptions, as a way to prevent sickness and death. The flu shot reduces the risk for people, their household and workplace, and other people around them, and can lessen the severity of illness if they get sick.
This year, vaccinations have been even more encouraged.
“The flu shot helps reduce flu symptoms, or keeps you from getting the flu and keeps people out of the hospital,” Suffoletto said. “Keeping people out of the hospital is important. There is already a strain our hospital system because of COVID.”
Yunger said the flu vaccine will not impact whether a person gets COVID and it does not make a person more susceptible to COVID. He also recommended everyone get a flu shot.
“Co-infection can occur, but it is pretty rare,” Yunger said. “That being said, just because you’ve had COVID doesn’t mean you should not get the vaccine.”
Jason Briscoe, director of pharmacy operations for Discount Drug Mart, said they have seen a significant increase in the number of people who have gotten vaccines. There were a lot of people who got vaccinated in September and October, Briscoe said.
“It is absolutely not too late to get your flu shot. Now is the perfect time to get vaccinated because peak flu season in Ohio is usually January or February,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe said when patients come into Discount Drug Mart for a flu shot, sometimes get other immunizations too.
“People are seeing that pharmacies are a convenient and safe way to get vaccines,” Briscoe said. “I’m proud that we’ve been able to increase vaccine rates in a pandemic.”
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