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No matter how much COVID-19 has concerned you, there are other respiratory viruses that are looking for a part of you. Leading among them, at least in terms of degree of illness: influenza.
Technically, you can get the flu at any time of the year, but the virus tends to infect people more at certain times of the year, starting in the fall. When exactly is flu season, however? Here’s what you need to know.
What is the flu season in the United States?
The flu season varies across the world: the southern hemisphere, which has its summer when we have our winter and vice versa, goes through the flu season at times opposite to those of the northern hemisphere, explains the infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior researcher at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
The exact time of flu season can vary, but, in the United States, influenza activity typically begins to resume in October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cooler weather pushes more people indoors, says Richard Watkins, MD, an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. “More people inside means they’re more likely to transmit viruses,” he says.
From there, the flu season usually peaks in December and February, before dying out in the spring. Some seasons, increased influenza activity can last until May, according to the CDC.
Why the flu is a concern
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, according to the CDC. The flu can cause illnesses ranging from mild to severe, and it can be fatal.
The flu is mainly spread through tiny droplets that are created when a person with the flu coughs, sneezes or speaks, the CDC explains. These droplets can then land in other people’s mouths or noses and infect them. It’s less common, but a person can get the flu by touching an infected surface and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.
Flu symptoms Usually appear suddenly and can vary, but the CDC says they typically include the following:
Has COVID-19 affected the flu season?
It certainly is. “COVID has virtually made the flu season non-existent” in 2020 in the northern hemisphere, says Dr Adalja. According to CDC data, just over 2,000 cases of the flu were reported to public health officials between late September 2020 and late April 2021. Note: It is estimated that 38 million people have had the flu in the past. the 2019-2020 influenza season.
Why? “The preventive measures like wearing a mask and social distancing that people take for COVID are also beneficial in avoiding the flu,” says Dr. Watkins.
So what does this mean for the 2021-2022 influenza season? It’s hard to say. “The southern hemisphere has had a mild to non-existent flu season, which tells you that there is less flu circulating around the planet,” says Dr Adalja. Still, he says, it’s hard to know for sure what this means for the northern hemisphere. “I don’t think it will be an average flu season, I think it will be milder than usual.”
Either way, experts stress the importance of getting the flu shot. “It’s the best way to make sure the season is mild,” says Dr Adalja. “It’s also an easy way to protect yourself against the flu.
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