INDIANAPOLIS — Flu season is approaching and medical experts are weighing in on the impact COVID-19 could have on this season.
Experts said the same preventative measures people are taking to stop the spread of COVID-19 also help protect against other viruses like the flu. They said if people continue to wear masks, wash their hands regularly and try to avoid large crowds we could see fewer flu cases than in past years. The opposite is true if restrictions start easing up.
"On the flip side, if people start relaxing those measures and people get complacent we could have the opposite effect where now we have two deadly pathogens circulating the community at the same time," Dr. W. Graham Carlos, chief of medicine at Eskenazi Health, said.
Doctors are expecting an increase in telehealth calls and lab visits as they work to properly diagnose people who do get sick.
Many of the initial symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of the flu. Both doctors and the health department also stressed the importance of getting a flu shot. It is expected to be available next month.
