US Cases: 6,487,751*
US Deaths: 186,162*
Worldwide Cases: 28,884,453*
Worldwide Deaths: 922,212*
* - Numbers are a lower bound. True numbers are being suppressed by the Trump administration
Get a flu shot. Full disclosure: Prior to last February, I probably hadn't received a flu shot in more than 20 years. In that time, I can only recall getting the flu once (when my son was less than a year old, and I had to spend a whole day taking care of him while his mom was at work --- THAT was horrible), and I just figured that the risk of getting the flu wasn't high enough to be worth the hassle of getting the shot.
But this year, things are different.
Public health officials, fearing that the confluence of Covid-19 and influenza cases could result in a “twindemic” that will further overburden hospitals and testing locations, are urging flu shots for nearly everyone, and the sooner the better.“We don’t have many arrows in our quiver in terms of combating Covid,” said Dr. Kevin Ban, the chief medical officer for Walgreens, which began administering the vaccine across its stores on Aug. 17. That’s why medical professionals are focusing instead on minimizing flu cases, so “resources go where they need to,” he added.
Getting a flu shot this year isn't just about protecting yourself (if it ever was) --- it's about making sure that medical resources don't get overburdened during the pandemic.
I got my flu shot last Wednesday. Be sure you do, too.
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