New York Times: Why a Coronavirus-Flu ‘Twindemic’ May Never Happen

New York Times: Why a Coronavirus-Flu ‘Twindemic’ May Never Happen. “The idea is that it wasn’t just masks, social distancing or other pandemic restrictions that caused flu and other respiratory viruses to fade while the coronavirus reigned, and to resurge as it receded. Rather, exposure to one respiratory virus may put the body’s immune defenses on high alert, barring other intruders from gaining entry into the airways.”

Bloomberg: People with Covid-19 and flu at greater risk of severe illness and death

Bloomberg: People with Covid-19 and flu at greater risk of severe illness and death. “Adults in hospital with Covid-19 and the flu at the same time are at much greater risk of severe disease and death compared with patients who have Covid-19 alone or with other viruses, research has shown. Scientists found that patients who had both Sars-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, and influenza viruses were more than four times more likely to require ventilation support and 2.4 times more likely to die than if they just had Covid-19.”

KDKA: Hospitals Seeing Uptick In ‘Flurona’ Cases, A Double Infection Of COVID And The Flu

KDKA: Hospitals Seeing Uptick In ‘Flurona’ Cases, A Double Infection Of COVID And The Flu. “According to the World Health Organization, symptoms include cough, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, and fatigue. Israel confirmed its first case of the so-called ‘Flurona’ last Thursday. It was identified in an unvaccinated pregnant woman. She was later released and is now in good condition.”

Inside Edition: Flu Season Makes Comeback After Unusual Year Off Due to COVID-19

Inside Edition: Flu Season Makes Comeback After Unusual Year Off Due to COVID-19. “The flu virus, after being subsumed by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, has made an unwelcome comeback, according to health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported some 2,500 nationwide influenza cases from clinical tests for the week ending Dec. 11. Though that figure isn’t unusual for this time of year, it also represents a number not seen since the coronavirus pandemic erupted.”

State of Michigan: MDHHS will issue face mask advisory for the holiday season due to rise in cases of flu and COVID-19

State of Michigan: MDHHS will issue face mask advisory for the holiday season due to rise in cases of flu and COVID-19. “With the increasing rise in COVID-19 and flu cases, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will be issuing a face mask advisory and offering guidance to keep loved ones safe and prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses during the holidays. MDHHS will issue a Public Health Advisory that recommends everyone over the age of 2 should wear a face mask at indoor gatherings regardless of their vaccination status. In addition, establishments should implement a policy to ensure that all persons entering or seeking services, including employees, wear a mask. This face mask advisory will remain effect until further notice.”

CNN: Flu shots uptake is now partisan. It didn’t use to be

CNN: Flu shots uptake is now partisan. It didn’t use to be. “Uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine has, unfortunately, become partisan like so much else in our society. Almost every Democratic adult (90% to 95%) has gotten a shot, while a little less than two-thirds of Republican adults have. That partisanship appears to have transferred to at least one other important vaccination. An examination of flu shot data suggests that which party people belong to is highly correlated with whether they have or will get a flu shot this season — something that was not predictive of flu shot uptake the last few years.”

Flu shots may be less effective due to limitations caused by COVID-19 on data: Expert (Al Arabiya)

Al Arabiya: Flu shots may be less effective due to limitations caused by COVID-19 on data: Expert. “Flu shots may be less effective this season due to limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which have affected data collection, a health expert said on Sunday. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that health care workers and people who are most at risk of developing serious complications from influenza infection be vaccinated every year before the influenza season, which typically occurs during autumn and winter, begins.”

NPR: Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate

NPR: Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate. “A study released this month in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, led by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, found that across 44 children’s hospitals, the number of pediatric patients hospitalized for respiratory illnesses is down 62%. Deaths have dropped dramatically too, compared with the last 10 years: The number of flu deaths among children is usually between 100 and 200 per year, but so far only one child has died from the disease in the U.S. during the 2020-2021 flu season.”