Preparing the campus to prevent a COVID-flu “twindemic” – UB
Colleges and universities should take certain steps now to guard against a combined outbreak this year, says the chief medical officer of a telehealth provider that partners with higher ed institutions.
With flu season upon us, scientists worry about the impact that a “twindemic”—widespread influenza coupled with COVID-19 – could have on the American public.
Marc Lipsitch, a Harvard University epidemiologist, summed up these concerns in a recent Scientific American article: “The worst-case scenario is both [the coronavirus and the flu] are spreading fast and causing severe disease, complicating diagnoses and presenting a double burden on the health care system.”
Others are more optimistic, noting that with so many Americans adopting better health practices because of COVID— wearing masks, social distancing, frequent handwashing—it’s possible we may have a mild flu season this fall and winter.
College campuses that welcomed back their students this fall are particularly ripe for a double whammy. Not only has the CDC reported an uptick in COVID-19 cases among 18-22-year-olds, a recent report estimated that schools that reopened for face-to-face instruction were responsible for more than 3,000 COVID-19 cases per day.