Same tactics, different threat – Flu season poses new risk amid pandemic

As the weather gets colder, Americans are facing another viral threat: the flu.
Doctors at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say social distancing and wearing masks will help people avoid the flu, as well as the coronavirus.
"The same things that would work with COVID-19 would work for influenza,” says Dr. Andrew Pekosz, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Reducing both of those diseases is going to have a general benefit for our population as well as our health care system."
There isn't much data yet on people infected by both viruses at the same time in the U.S., but doctors speculate that having one virus would likely make someone more susceptible to the other virus.
Doctors encourage people to get their flu shots this season, especially considering the new COVID-19 concern. Doctors also say they understand that people have fears about vaccines, but that health officials need to be better about establishing trust with the public.
They say to not only do it for the flu vaccine, but for the eventual coronavirus vaccine.