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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 those two diseases,
is that the prevention measures works 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, talk 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 show 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 those 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.
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