“The protecting reflexes acquired through the Covid are additionally legitimate in opposition to the flu”, recollects a professor of virology

Will the flu be again this winter? Just like the well being authorities, the professor of virology on the Lyon College Hospital, Bruno Lina, is fearful on Friday October 7 on franceinfo that the flu virus is circulating “extra simply and extra intensely” this winter due to a “herd immunity” much less environment friendly. It requires utilizing “protecting reflexes acquired through the Covid”.

franceinfo: Why are we fearful immediately concerning the return of the flu this winter?

Bruno Lina: Now we have no indicators that enable us to know if there can be an epidemic this winter. Then again, we all know that because the coronavirus, the circulation of all respiratory viruses has been turned the wrong way up. Nevertheless, there’s an epidemic usually yearly with the flu virus. Within the two previous winters, these epidemics didn’t happen. And one of many hypotheses that ought to make us suppose is that an influenza epidemic is introduced beneath management when there’s collective immunity acquired by the common circulation of the virus. So the query we ask ourselves: because the circulation of the flu has decreased over the previous two winters, is our safety system much less good and can the virus flow into extra simply and extra intensely? ?

Which implies that the flu will solely have an effect on probably the most weak or that it will likely be as extreme in wholesome individuals?

We’re merely speaking about numerous circumstances. Clearly it’s all the time probably the most fragile who’re probably the most weak. These individuals have a excessive intrinsic danger. Because the variety of contaminated is prone to be better, there can be a better variety of severe kinds as properly.

“We should subsequently take a sequence of measures to keep away from all this. Already saying that every one the reflexes that we have now acquired with the Covid are additionally legitimate for prevention in opposition to the flu virus.”

Bruno Lina, professor of virology

at franceinfo

Vaccination, which is able to start on October 18, is a pillar within the struggle in opposition to severe types of the flu. With out forgetting the air flow of closed locations, good hand hygiene, and never going to see others if you end up sick. I do know it is all the time a bit difficult to inform individuals to put on a masks.

And might we do the flu vaccine similtaneously the Covid one?

Sure, there are not any contraindications. You are able to do each on the similar time. One in every arm. Should you do not wish to do them on the identical day, you may area them out. It is as much as you: there isn’t a interplay between the 2 vaccines. Most significantly, danger teams just like the over 60s and the over 80s ought to get vaccinated in opposition to flu and coronavirus.