Chicago’s top doctor expressed worries about a rough flu season for the city, saying that “all signs are pointing” to dramatic increases in cases and hospitalizations related to the influenza virus.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, says that data from Australia and other parts of the southern hemisphere have increased her concerns about spikes in flu cases.
“The southern hemisphere has had a very bad flu season during their winter. Australia is coming off the worst flu season they’ve had in five years, with levels much higher than they’ve seen in either previous year,” she said. “All signs point to this being quite a bad flu season, and my worry is if we had a bad flu season on top of a bad COVID season, that really has the potential to threaten our healthcare systems.”
According to U.S. News and World Report, Australia has reported more than 224,000 flu cases and 305 deaths. Kids between the ages of 5 and 9 reported the highest rates of flu in the country.
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The United States has seen lower-than-normal flu cases and hospitalizations in recent years. The 2020-21 flu season was nearly nonexistent in the U.S., with experts crediting the prevalence of anti-COVID measures, but the country saw a slightly more normal season last year, reporting between 8-to-13 million cases and between 82,000 and 170,000 hospitalizations.
An estimated 5,000-to-14,000 Americans died due to the flu between Oct. 1, 2021 and June 11, 2022.
Experts fear that case numbers and deaths could be even higher this year, and Arwady says that any surge in COVID cases could potentially cause serious strain on the health care system if flu season is bad.
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She especially expressed concern for kids, with RSV cases already spiking among younger populations.
“We’re already seeing a big surge in respiratory viruses broadly, even before flu has seriously kicked in,” she said. “We’re seeing our pediatric hospitals fill with kids getting admitted with RSV and other childhood viruses.”
The city’s top doctor also encouraged residents to stay diligent about handwashing and to wear masks when possible.
Arwady says flu cases tend to start growing in November and December, which is why officials have been so adamant about getting vaccines in September and October.
“It’s about you getting both (COVID and flu) vaccines this fall,” she said.
