A "twindemic" of covid-19 and influenza is a recipe for public health nightmares.
Strict measures to control the spread of the coronavirus were expected to prevent flu transmission, which appears to have largely held true for 2020. But this flu season, some countries are on track to be hit much harder, while others could be spared.
Efforts to track flu cases face obstacles, as flu tests are not ubiquitous and the illness can be confused with others, including covid-19. But many health-care systems track hospitalizations for flu-like symptoms.
The United States, experts warn, could soon be facing its first "twindemic" season. Last winter, flu cases in the United States hit record lows as the coronavirus surged. This year, flu cases are rising alongside the highly contagious omicron variant that's already overwhelmed hospitals. Europe's flu season is also just starting - and likewise expected to be worse this year.
Other places, including Israel, are seeing flu spikes this winter after historically low case levels last year. Yet the trend looks different in Australia, which had low flu cases last year - and even fewer this summer, when the country's flu season usually hits.
And some countries, such as Brazil, are battling out of season flu outbreaks as they brace for the full effects of the fast-spreading omicron variant. ...
Ian Barr, the deputy director for the WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Influenza based in Melbourne, told the ABC that the majority of this summer's flu cases were recorded in quarantine centers set up for incoming international travelers.
"The whole influenza world is topsy-turvy at the moment," he said. ...
