As flu season is starting in many parts of the world, how would you know if you have
flu or COVID-19?
Hello and welcome to Science in 5.
I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith.
We are talking to
Dr Sylvie Briand about flu and COVID-19 today.
Welcome, Sylvie.
Sylvie, let's start with how would people know if they have caught the flu or COVID-19?
So the flu is very common, especially in this season, and usually the symptoms
are fever, headache, muscle ache, but also upper respiratory symptoms such
as sneezing and coughing.
For COVID-19 it's the same symptoms, basically, but in addition, we have
specific symptoms such as anosmia, which is a lack of smell and ageusia,
which is a lack of taste.
And many people, especially young people, have experienced these additional and specific
symptoms for COVID-19.
But sometimes people have very few symptoms, whether it's for flu
or for COVID-19.
It really depends on your level of immunity.
What is important to know really for these two diseases, is that the prevention
measures work for both of them, and especially washing hands
is very important.
Then ventilation of rooms when you are in crowded rooms, with a lot of people
in particular to open the window.
Also wearing masks if you cannot open the window and maintain physical distancing.
And both diseases are really preventable if we apply those measures.
So, Sylvie talked to us about the groups that are most at risk from the flu and also
talk to us about the safety of taking the flu vaccine.
For those people who do have access to the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine,
is it safe to take it?
So, the group most at risk for influenza, are elderly, people with underlying
conditions such as chronic respiratory disease, cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and these are similar group as for COVID-19.
But for flu in addition, pregnant women and very young children, infants are also more
at risk for severe disease.
So is it safe to administer a flu vaccine and COVID-19 at the same time?
Yes, we have now a few studies that showed that it is safe to have both vaccines
at the same time.
But of course, people need to check with their physician about their indication
to take both vaccines.
Sylvie, talk to us about how the composition of the influenza vaccine
is decided and also speak to us a little more about the safety and efficacy
of the flu vaccine.
There are many, many different influenza viruses out there and actually they
change very often.
And so what is very important is to know what are the predominant viruses in a given
setting so that we can take the antigen of this virus to compose the vaccine.
So that's why we have around the world.
136 laboratories constantly monitoring the circulating viruses and twice a year,
we have experts meeting to define what are the predominant viruses in certain places
of the world.
So we have two vaccine composition meetings per year: one for the northern hemisphere
and one for the southern hemisphere.
So the flu vaccine has existed for many decades, and it's a very
safe vaccine.
But it's very important to have these expert meetings to define the composition
of the vaccine, to make sure that we put in the vaccine the component that will really
better protect people against the circulating viruses at a given time.
And this vaccine is very recommended to at risk people so that they can be protected
against severe flu
and death when the season starts.
Thank you, Sylvie.
That was Science in 5 today.
Until next time then.
Stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.