MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With so much talk about COVID-19, there is some good news: There’s an unusually low number of flu cases this year.
In years past, flu numbers usually start to spike in November and December, but Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital is reporting unusally low flu cases this year.
“It’s actually an unintended consequences of some the measures we’ve taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Nicholas Hysmith, medical director of infection prevention. “We’ve seen very little flu, very little influenza if any at all so far this year.”
A year can make a big difference when it comes influenza and what Memphis experienced in 2019.
“Looking back at last year, we were in the high to very high range for influenza like illness, and as we sit now — minimal if any. I think the things we’re doing to fight COVID-19 are paying dividends,” Hysmith said.
Doctors say some of the same precuations people are using to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are also helping to keep the flu virus at bay.
“I think us having the masks on is preventing us from spreading influenza,” he said. “If someone gets us and we’ve been pushing social distancing and staying apart from one another and washing hands and not having large groups come together.”
And while we may be winning the battle against the flu, the war against COVID-19 rages on in the Mid-South.
“I think we still know we’re surging right now,” Hysmith said. “That’s evident from what we’ve seen as the numbers go up again and overwhelm our hospital system with COVID-19. I think we’re going to have to continue to push on with what we’re doing.”