Flu hospitalizations decline during COVID-19 pandemic
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- While COVID-19 cases continue to rise, flu cases are dramatically down in El Paso County.
El Paso County Health Department says those low numbers are partly due to people following COVID-19 safety guidelines such as social distancing, diligently washing hands, wearing masks, and sanitizing.
Last year, according to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, there were more than 3,000 cases. In El Paso County, there were 475 flu cases from September 2019-May 2020.
In February 2020, El Paso County Health saw a spike in flu cases, they recommend many get the flu shot before February and March 2021.
Now, flu-related hospitalizations in El Paso County are at zero. Across the state, they stand at 18 flu hospitalizations.
This flu season, the CDC reports more than 2 million Coloradans received a flu shot. Compared to previous years, flu vaccinations are up 16.3%, according to The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
"The higher level of vaccination occurring in the community and state and then in addition to that we also have a lot of these really strong mitigation factors or you know things that are going into the prevention of respiratory diseases, like COVID, but also influenza," said Haley Zachary, the Lead Communicable Disease Epidemiologist with El Paso County Public Health
Zachary believes higher flu vaccination rates paired with increased social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing have all contributed to the decrease in influenza circulation within the community.
Governor Polis has stressed the importance of the flu vaccination throughout this pandemic, in hopes that fewer flu hospitalizations would relieve some of the stress healthcare systems are experiencing during the pandemic.
Some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, therefore healthcare providers recommend you get tested for both if concerned about any symptoms.
