Chicago's top doctor said Friday she's concerned about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases coinciding with flu season this coming fall and winter.
At a news conference where she discussed the city's progress in combating the coronavirus infection rate, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady shared her worries about how the coronavirus could impact hospitals seeing an increase in patients during flu season.
"If we have even a normal flu season on top of an ongoing COVID season, even at a relatively low level, that could be a major problem," she stated.
Dr. Arwady added in the fall and winter, when it's colder outside, people are inside more, they're often in closer contact and are potentially washing their hands less.
While she said the city has dropped the transmission risk of the coronavirus by 95%, statistically the likelihood of contracting the virus in the city is higher than many other places, and people need to continue to be careful and adhere to precautions.
"If people think COVID is over, we will have trouble here," Dr. Arwady said. "No doubt about it."
As of Friday, a total of 49,101 coronavirus cases and 2,369 deaths have been reported citywide. Additionally, 42,989 individuals have recovered from the virus.
