This story first appeared in The Dallas Morning News. Read the story here.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday urged Texans to not let their guard down about COVID-19, and to get their guard up about the upcoming flu season.
It’s been long feared that the U.S. could see an even worse surge of COVID-19 infections in the fall because of flu season, but whether that actually plays out could be up to Texans, state officials said at a roundtable event held Thursday at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Abbott said that although COVID-19 cases appear to be trending down lately in North Texas, cases are still high and are not “anywhere close” to being in the clear.
Getting COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations under control now is key before flu season arrives, Abbott said, urging Texans to continue to practice social distancing, wearing masks and limiting social interactions.
“Until we have medications that are capable of treating COVID-19, the only tool we have to slow its spread is by everybody adopting these practices,” Abbott said.
“Anybody, anywhere has the ability to spread and contract COVID-19,” Abbott said, adding that it’s easy to get lax when it comes to wearing a mask around friends or family but that it’s necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.
“There may be this sense that if you’re gathering with family, you really are not going to be transmitting COVID-19 and that has been disproven right here in Dallas County,” Abbott said. “Or you may think that if you’re just with some friends that you typically hang out with that it will not lead to the spread of COVID-19, and again, that has been disproven.”
Flu cases normally begin to increase in October, with activity peaking between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If COVID-19 is not contained by the fall, and flu season turns out to be a prolific one, hospital systems could be overwhelmed again in the coming months, Abbott cautioned, adding that the two viruses combined could also put a strain on the supply of personal protective equipment.
“You can easily see how hospitals in this region as well as across Texas will be completely overrun with an inability for the hospitals to take care of the medical needs of everybody in the entire region,” Abbott said.
Dr. John Hellerstedt, Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner, said that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially crucial for Texans to get a flu vaccine this year.
Some good news, according to Hellerstedt, is that this year’s flu vaccine has proven to be very effective in the Southern Hemisphere during its flu season.