Influenza can recur when Delta declines in Louisiana, doctors say | Coronavirus

A year ago, the hospital prepared for a clash with the coronavirus during the flu season. With the spread of masks and the growing social distance, influenza has disappeared from the map and has become one of the mildest influenza seasons in the world.

However, this spring, precautions have weakened and respiratory viruses have fully revived during the summer, when they are usually low. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) filled children’s hospitals, affected adults, and some hospitals remained competing for oxygen and staff.

Now, doctors are using that experience to predict what will happen when the distance is more relaxed during the flu season from October to March, when the respiratory virus normally propagates. Influenza hospitalized 15,000 people and killed more than 1,600 in Louisiana during a particularly difficult time in 2019. In the last 18 months, the number of deaths has increased about eight times due to the coronavirus.

“In the spring of 2009, people were taking off their masks. We saw an increase in parainfluenza and RSV, and we are worried that it will come back, especially in the fall and winter of our children, but last year. It was also seen in adults in the spring, “said Dr. Robert Hart of Oxner. Health Chief Medical Officer.

The hospital plans an influx of respiratory virus during the winter by increasing staff each year. However, the flu-COVID clash could re-burden hospital staff who are already tired if the state does not respond as soon as there is evidence of an increase.

“If you don’t sit down right away, you can run into some problems,” says Hart.

Dr. Frank Welch, medical director of the Louisiana Health Department’s State Immunization Program, said influenza activity in Australia is usually a precursor to bringing it to the United States. It doesn’t work this year.

“Australia was completely blocked several times,” Welch said. “They had little flu activity there.”

As a result, it’s not clear what the flu looks like here when people relax while the surge from the delta variant diminishes.

Dr. John Seeferin, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at New Orleans Children’s Hospital, said: “It’s a big unknown.”

Due to the low levels of influenza over the past year, it has also been difficult to determine if vaccination against influenza, which is represcribed annually based on circulating virus strains, is appropriate. Even if it’s not perfect, shots will still reduce the severity of illness, hospitalization, and death, Schieffelin said.

Influenza vaccination is also especially important because many people have been exposed for many years and many remain unprotected from previous exposures.

“We have nearly two years of people being cautious, so there are many people, especially younger children who are not immune to all of these,” said Schieffelin. “When the masks come off and people return to work as usual, we can have a very busy winter.”

The number of coronaviruses is declining, but there are still many in hospitals. Friday’s 838 is about the same as late July when the delta wave began. According to Dr. Catherine Baumgarten, hospitals have fewer COVID patients, but the most ill patients are protracted and have less resources for people with other respiratory viruses.

“We are still seeing patients in the ICU,” Baumgarten said. “We are seeing many patients with severe COVID who are still trying to treat them and see if they can be recovered.”

The Louisiana flu season usually begins in late October and actually increases in January, February, and March. Doctors now recommend getting a flu shot, as it takes weeks for the body’s immune system to strengthen its protection.

A UK clinical trial released Thursday found that it was safe to receive both the flu shot and the coronavirus vaccine at the same time. According to Welch, the state plans to launch a flu fair in mid-October, including a drive-through event that offers both, but clinics and pharmacies should already be supplying shots.

Anyone over the age of 6 months can be vaccinated against the flu, but flu is most common for adults over the age of 65, toddlers, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions such as heart and lung disease. it’s dangerous. Those who do not fall into these categories can protect others by getting their own.

COVID treatments, such as monoclonal antibody infusions, are more common than at other times during the pandemic, but the number of vaccinations in the state remains low. Hospitals could be overwhelmed again if influenza builds a foothold in an unprotected population and the number of COVID cases increases in the winter, as in 2020.

Doctors encouraged masking, washing hands, and staying at home when ill to prevent both viruses from recurring.

“No one wants all these obligations and closures,” said Schieffelin. “But the more we do as a community now, the more likely we are to slow this down and get back to normal sooner.”