Flu season historically mild in Pa. due to COVID protections, doctors say

Feb. 22—Amid the yearlong onslaught of troubling medical news brought on by COVID-19, there has been a recent bright spot: A lack of a flu season that doctors say is unprecedented.

Fears months ago of dual pandemics have not materialized.

Influenza is way down across the country, and neither Berks County hospital has seen even a single flu patient even though the region is usually deep into the season by now.

Doctors are attributing the change to the COVID-related precautions many have been taking, especially mask-wearing, social distancing and careful handwashing.

"We've never seen a year like this where we've had zero cases," said Dr. Debra Powell, chief of the division of infectious disease and medical director of infection prevention at Reading Hospital. "It's really remarkable."

Officials at Penn State Health St. Joseph hospital in Bern Township said likewise, and Berks Community Health Care's offices have also not seen any flu patients.

"It's wonderful," said Dr. Mari Driscoll, infection control and prevention specialist for Penn State Health St. Joseph.

Minimal spread

For comparison, during the 2019-20 flu season Reading Hospital treated 1,261 flu patients, most of them by the end of February.

While influenza's spread and severity vary widely by season, the state estimates that 5% to 20% of Pennsylvanians get the flu each year, that's 600,000 to 2.4 million residents. By the end of last week, though, there had been only 2,685 laboratory-confirmed flu cases statewide, according to the Department of Health.

Pennsylvania has spent most of the flu season on the lowest "minimal" rung of influenza spread listed on the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weekly flu tracker.

During a typical flu season 120 to 2,000 Pennsylvanians die of complications of influenza, including 198 deaths last year, but this year there have been just 13, said Ray Barishansky, the deputy secretary for health preparedness and community protection.

Officials said this year's numbers are striking, especially since flu testing is up at many hospitals and medical offices as patients with flu-like symptoms are tested for both COVID and influenza.

Conspiracy theories about flu cases being listed as COVID this year are simply wrong, officials said.

Reading Hospital has also not had any patients with RSV, a common respiratory virus that can be serious for infants and older adults, compared to 246 cases last year, Powell said.

The lack of flu and RSV spread shows the effectiveness of wearing masks and other recent COVID-related changes, she said.

The state is also crediting COVID-related changes to the decrease in virus spread, as is Berks Community Health.

"There is so much more protection in place (from viral diseases) now, and that has decreased transmission," said Dr. Mary E. Kelleher, Berks Community Health Center chief medical officer.

It has also helped that people are also more aware of how easily viruses can be transmitted, Driscoll said.

As a result more people are staying home from work if they're ill, keeping sick kids home from school and keeping their distance from others who have symptoms, she said.

Surprisingly low

A mild flu season was expected by doctors who had seen what happened in Australia, where the flu arrives midyear when winter hits in the southern hemisphere. But even though local doctors were optimistic after seeing low case numbers in Australia, what has happened locally has been surprising.

"We didn't expect zero cases," Driscoll said.

And while there are still concerns about how severe symptoms could be for someone who experiences COVID and the flu simultaneously, fortunately those dual ailments aren't occurring locally, she said.

Nationwide, there is extensive testing ongoing for influenza, but very few flu infections are being detected, according to the CDC.

Between early September and early February there were 1,364 positive cases reported by clinical labs to CDC, compared to 129,997 last year.

Measures including extensive reductions in global travel, teleworking, school closures, social distancing and mask use likely have had an impact not just in mitigating COVID spread but flu transmission, too, said CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund.

"Public health labs are testing more samples for influenza than in previous years, and they, too, are finding very few samples positive for flu," she said.

Can't relax

Even as COVID vaccine distribution increases and cases have been decreasing, local medical professionals are still stressing the importance that mask wearing continue.

"They are the key to controlling the outbreak, and people still need to wear them," Driscoll said, predicting that could be the case for the next six months to a year. "We're asking people to be patient."

The state made a similar plea for mask wearing.

"They protect both you and the people around you," Barishansky said.

Once mask requirements are dropped, Powell thinks many who've tired of them will no longer wear them, but she also thinks some will continue to do so to ward off sickness, and that changes like an increased focus on handwashing and aversion to crowds during flu season will continue for many.

"I think it's going to be a cultural shift," she said.

Those who haven't received flu shots this year can still do so. They are widely available from hospitals, doctors' offices and pharmacies, and there is still a chance flu season could pick up by the end of March, Driscoll said.

Though the flu has been overshadowed by the pandemic, people should remember it is still a serious and potentially deadly virus, and keep taking precautions, she said.

CDC spokesman Robert Denty, too, said flu activity may increase in the coming months.

"If you haven't gotten your flu vaccine yet, get vaccinated," he said. "Don't wait for flu to start spreading in your community."

"The flu isn't gone," Driscoll agreed. "And if people relax, it'll come back."