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Credit: Corey Sipkin By David Olson [135]david.olson@newsday.com [136]@DavidOlson11 Updated August 10, 2020 6:00 AM Print [ ] Share [137]fbShare [138]Tweet [139]Email Amid the mass death of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say there may be an unintended health benefit: The same social-distancing, mask-wearing and other measures aimed at preventing transmission of the coronavirus also may be leading to fewer cases of the flu, the common cold and other contagious illnesses. Michelle Varela of Roosevelt noticed it in her family. “The kids before got sick a lot, because they went to school,” Varela, 34, said in Spanish. “There was always a child with a cold, or the change in weather always affected them. But now, no. They haven’t gotten a cold or anything like that.” There are few statistics on the prevalence of the common cold in the COVID-19 era, because people typically don’t go to the doctor for a cold, but experts said flu-test data indicates COVID-19 precautions are having an effect on influenza. In the northern hemisphere, flu cases typically peak in February and continue through the end of May, but this year the number of lab-confirmed flu cases fell sharply in early April, after much of the world was in some form of a COVID-19-related lockdown, according to a May 21 article in the journal Nature. “Public-health measures such as movement restrictions, social distancing and increased personal hygiene likely had an effect on decreasing influenza and other respiratory virus transmission,” a World Health Organization statement to Nature said. The New York State Department of Health had planned to issue weekly flu surveillance reports through May but halted them after April 11, because there were so few new test-confirmed flu cases after an unusually sharp decline in late March and early April, department spokeswoman Jill Montag said in a statement. Social distancing and people staying home were among the likely factors in the drop, she said. Sign up for coronavirus updates Get the latest on the fast-moving developments on the coronavirus and its impact on Long Island. ____________________ [140]Sign up By clicking Sign up, you agree to our [141]privacy policy. A note to our community: As a public service, this article is available for all. Newsday readers support our strong local journalism by subscribing. Please show you value this important work by becoming a subscriber now. [142]SUBSCRIBE Cancel anytime In the southern hemisphere, where it is now winter and peak flu season, countries are reporting a huge fall in influenza cases, The Wall Street Journal reported. Dr. David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health, said part of the reason for the decline in lab-confirmed flu cases probably is that because of a shortage of swabs and the liquid that test samples are stored in, “We were prioritizing testing for COVID and not always testing for influenza.” The same swabs and liquids are used for both coronavirus and flu tests, he said. Dr. Susan Donelan, medical director of health care epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine, said although it’s unclear how much of the decline was from less flu testing and how much was from fewer actual cases, “There are a whole host of different pathogens that hopefully will be transmitted less readily if people follow the precautions they need to use to avoid the coronavirus.” A number of bacteria and viruses are “pretty much transmitted by the same face-to-face droplet spread” as the coronavirus, including the common cold, whooping cough, and respiratory syncytial virus, a common infection in children under 2, she said. Measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, such as covering the nose and mouth, also should help prevent the transmission of other viruses and bacteria, she said. Brentwood resident Ramon Reina, visiting the Roberto Clemente Brentwood resident Ramon Reina, visiting the Roberto Clemente Brentwood resident Ramon Reina, visiting the Roberto Clemente Park with his daughter, Elizabeth, on Wednesday. Credit: Corey Sipkin Ramon Reina, 47, of Brentwood, said in Spanish that he “used to get colds a lot. But I’m not getting them now.” His wife and 11-year-old daughter also haven’t gotten sick since the pandemic began, he said. “We’ve been inside and keeping our distance,” he said. Margarita Sanchez, 36, of Brentwood, who has three children, ages 12 to 16, said in Spanish that “by now, someone should have gotten a cold, but no one has. I have all this cold medicine, but we haven’t used it.” Sanchez said she has been especially vigilant this year to look for cold and flu symptoms, because some also are coronavirus symptoms. Those similarities mean that when the flu season begins in October, more people likely will be going to their doctors or to COVID-19 test centers seeking a COVID-19 test, including people with mild flu-like symptoms who wouldn't have gone to the doctor in the past, Hirschwerk said. “Hopefully if there is an adequate supply of testing, then anyone who develops a respiratory illness really is going to need to think about getting tested for COVID, not just to understand their own situations for themselves individually, but for their families, and for schools and their workplaces,” he said. That’s why it’s so important to get vaccinated against the flu this year, he said. Social distancing and face coverings, combined with flu vaccines, can reduce the prevalence of the flu, and reduce the strain on the health care system from people seeking testing, and from people being hospitalized for the flu or COVID-19, he said. Between 140,000 and 810,000 Americans have been hospitalized for influenza each year since 2010, with 12,000 to 61,000 annual deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts have been warning for weeks that a second wave of coronavirus infections this fall, combined with the flu season, could overwhelm hospitals. A flu vaccination “will save a lot of patients from having to be evaluated by their health care provider,” Hirschwerk said. [143]Sign up to get COVID-19 text alerts. David Olson poses for an employee headshot at By David Olson [144]david.olson@newsday.com [145]@DavidOlson11 David Olson covers health care. He has worked at Newsday since 2015 and previously covered immigration, multicultural issues and religion at The Press-Enterprise in Southern California. [146]Share on Facebook [147]Share on Twitter A note to our community: As a public service, this article is available for all. Newsday readers support our strong local journalism by subscribing. Please show you value this important work by becoming a subscriber now. [148]SUBSCRIBE Cancel anytime Most Popular * [149]Osbourne shows off dramatic weight loss * [150]Infant, 4 others injured in parkway crash, police say * Newsday Special Report [151]As businesses move outdoors, attitudes change about public space * [152]Lindenhurst may ban new 24-hour businesses * WATCH NOW [153]PSEG LI: 46,000 customers remain without power 1. [154]President Donald Trump on Saturday signs executive orders President Donald Trump on Saturday signs executive orders [155]1600: Doubts abound that Trump relief actions will cure much 2. [156]An aerial view of the port of Beirut An aerial view of the port of Beirut [157]Janison:Trump is now our least reliable source 3. [158]Passengers board a Casco Bay Lines ferry bound Passengers board a Casco Bay Lines ferry bound [159]U.S. tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe's alarm 4. [160]President Donald Trump speaks during an event at President Donald Trump speaks during an event at [161]Trump ramps up appeals to suburban voters 5. [162]Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden [163]Biden risks alienating young Black voters after race remarks Health [164]People dine and mill about along Main Street People dine and mill about along Main Street 1:21 Newsday Special Report [165]As businesses move outdoors, attitudes change about public space [166]New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo waves a mask New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo waves a mask [167]Cuomo: New Yorkers test positive at record low rate [168]Passengers board a Casco Bay Lines ferry bound Passengers board a Casco Bay Lines ferry bound [169]U.S. tops 5 million confirmed virus cases, to Europe's alarm Didn’t find what you were looking for? 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