Virologist Marc Van Ranst (KU Leuven) expects that the coming flu season will not be too fierce. “That would be a stroke of luck, because we cannot afford the opposite in combination with the ongoing Covid pandemic.”
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“I think we will have little flu this season,” says Van Ranst. “We saw a lot of bacteria and viruses less often this year.”
The cause of this lies in the various measures that are taken to prevent infection with the corona virus. It is not only about the lockdown, but also about following basic rules such as washing hands and keeping your distance. “We clearly see the importance of those measures for the prevention of other conditions. For example, there were fewer stomach and intestinal infections this summer. ”
This can also have an inhibitory effect on the spread of the influenza virus that causes the flu. “In Australia there was hardly any flu this year,” explains Van Ranst.
It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue here. But if that is the case, it will in any case be a “windfall”, it sounds. “We cannot afford the opposite. A combination of a third wave of corona infections with a normal flu season would be a ‘perfect storm’ that would overload our healthcare system. ”
Van Ranst emphasizes that the evolution of the flu virus is also closely monitored.
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