1 00:00:06,410 --> 00:00:10,939 As flu season is starting in many parts of the world, how would you know if you have 2 00:00:10,939 --> 00:00:12,972 flu or COVID-19? 3 00:00:13,490 --> 00:00:15,779 Hello and welcome to Science in 5. 4 00:00:15,846 --> 00:00:17,480 I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith. 5 00:00:17,719 --> 00:00:19,070 We are talking to 6 00:00:19,070 --> 00:00:22,309 Dr Sylvie Briand about flu and COVID-19 today. 7 00:00:22,550 --> 00:00:23,629 Welcome, Sylvie. 8 00:00:23,839 --> 00:00:29,866 Sylvie, let's start with how would people know if they have caught the flu or COVID-19? 9 00:00:30,050 --> 00:00:35,659 So the flu is very common, especially in this season, and usually the symptoms 10 00:00:35,726 --> 00:00:43,460 are fever, headache, muscle ache, but also upper respiratory symptoms such 11 00:00:43,670 --> 00:00:45,859 as sneezing and coughing. 12 00:00:46,909 --> 00:00:52,490 For COVID-19 it's the same symptoms, basically, but in addition, we have 13 00:00:52,609 --> 00:00:57,890 specific symptoms such as anosmia, which is a lack of smell and ageusia, 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:00:59,479 which is a lack of taste. 15 00:00:59,780 --> 00:01:05,000 And many people, especially young people, have experienced these additional and specific 16 00:01:05,066 --> 00:01:06,599 symptoms for COVID-19. 17 00:01:07,219 --> 00:01:10,790 But sometimes people have very few symptoms, whether it's for flu 18 00:01:10,856 --> 00:01:11,790 or for COVID-19. 19 00:01:11,856 --> 00:01:14,060 It really depends on your level of immunity. 20 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,549 What is important to know really for these two diseases, is that the prevention 21 00:01:19,616 --> 00:01:23,890 measures work for both of them, and especially washing hands 22 00:01:23,956 --> 00:01:25,099 is very important. 23 00:01:25,430 --> 00:01:31,219 Then ventilation of rooms when you are in crowded rooms, with a lot of people 24 00:01:31,370 --> 00:01:33,170 in particular to open the window. 25 00:01:34,069 --> 00:01:39,469 Also wearing masks if you cannot open the window and maintain physical distancing. 26 00:01:39,829 --> 00:01:44,120 And both diseases are really preventable if we apply those measures. 27 00:01:44,599 --> 00:01:50,540 So, Sylvie talked to us about the groups that are most at risk from the flu and also 28 00:01:50,606 --> 00:01:54,799 talk to us about the safety of taking the flu vaccine. 29 00:01:54,866 --> 00:01:59,629 For those people who do have access to the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine, 30 00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:01,189 is it safe to take it? 31 00:02:01,730 --> 00:02:09,020 So, the group most at risk for influenza, are elderly, people with underlying 32 00:02:09,086 --> 00:02:14,060 conditions such as chronic respiratory disease, cancer, 33 00:02:14,870 --> 00:02:20,569 cardiovascular disease, and these are similar group as for COVID-19. 34 00:02:20,930 --> 00:02:27,650 But for flu in addition, pregnant women and very young children, infants are also more 35 00:02:27,716 --> 00:02:29,150 at risk for severe disease. 36 00:02:29,270 --> 00:02:33,199 So is it safe to administer a flu vaccine and COVID-19 at the same time? 37 00:02:34,310 --> 00:02:39,889 Yes, we have now a few studies that showed that it is safe to have both vaccines 38 00:02:40,009 --> 00:02:40,819 at the same time. 39 00:02:41,509 --> 00:02:46,580 But of course, people need to check with their physician about their indication 40 00:02:46,646 --> 00:02:47,930 to take both vaccines. 41 00:02:48,620 --> 00:02:52,699 Sylvie, talk to us about how the composition of the influenza vaccine 42 00:02:52,766 --> 00:02:56,990 is decided and also speak to us a little more about the safety and efficacy 43 00:02:57,056 --> 00:02:57,889 of the flu vaccine. 44 00:02:58,340 --> 00:03:04,189 There are many, many different influenza viruses out there and actually they 45 00:03:04,256 --> 00:03:05,479 change very often. 46 00:03:05,870 --> 00:03:12,439 And so what is very important is to know what are the predominant viruses in a given 47 00:03:12,620 --> 00:03:21,319 setting so that we can take the antigen of this virus to compose the vaccine. 48 00:03:21,889 --> 00:03:24,770 So that's why we have around the world. 49 00:03:24,836 --> 00:03:32,319 136 laboratories constantly monitoring the circulating viruses and twice a year, 50 00:03:32,386 --> 00:03:39,020 we have experts meeting to define what are the predominant viruses in certain places 51 00:03:39,086 --> 00:03:39,740 of the world. 52 00:03:40,250 --> 00:03:45,560 So we have two vaccine composition meetings per year: one for the northern hemisphere 53 00:03:45,740 --> 00:03:47,689 and one for the southern hemisphere. 54 00:03:48,139 --> 00:03:51,650 So the flu vaccine has existed for many decades, and it's a very 55 00:03:51,716 --> 00:03:52,520 safe vaccine. 56 00:03:52,819 --> 00:03:56,840 But it's very important to have these expert meetings to define the composition 57 00:03:56,906 --> 00:04:02,150 of the vaccine, to make sure that we put in the vaccine the component that will really 58 00:04:02,216 --> 00:04:06,620 better protect people against the circulating viruses at a given time. 59 00:04:07,039 --> 00:04:12,349 And this vaccine is very recommended to at risk people so that they can be protected 60 00:04:12,416 --> 00:04:13,400 against severe flu 61 00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:15,530 and death when the season starts. 62 00:04:16,069 --> 00:04:17,170 Thank you, Sylvie. 63 00:04:17,236 --> 00:04:19,019 That was Science in 5 today. 64 00:04:19,086 --> 00:04:20,389 Until next time then. 65 00:04:20,456 --> 00:04:23,779 Stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.