Coronavirus, Flu Overlap Could Challenge CT, U.S.: Experts

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut likely has at least a couple more months of low-level coronavirus activity thanks to strong mask use and social distancing, but at some point the state could see a resurgence, said Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and state resident.

The key preventing a spike is testing and contact tracing, he said during Gov. Ned Lamont’s news conference Thursday.

Gottlieb and other health experts this week warned that an uptick of coronavirus infections amid flu season could strain the state's health care system.

“I think at some point there is a risk that we are going to have a confluent epidemic across the United States because we have a lot of infection,” Gottlieb said. “We are taking an awful lot of infection into the fall and it’s going to collide with flu season and overwhelm our ability to do effective testing.”

State Epidemiologist Matthew Cartter expressed similar concern earlier this week. Connecticut’s flu season typically starts in late December and goes through February.

Coronavirus vaccine

A mass coronavirus vaccine is likely in early 2021, Gottlieb said. Trials are currently being conducted and results are expected in October. The country’s high infection rate makes it a good place to test a vaccine because control groups within studies will still have a high level of exposure to the virus, Gottlieb said.

Several manufacturers have announced they will start producing vaccine doses that will likely be ready by the late summer.

“By the time one of these is authorized or approved you’re going to have some supply on hand that you can start distributing,” Gottlieb said.

See related: CT Reports 9 Coronavirus Deaths, Which Lamont Called Disturbing

• Significant Amount Of Parents Not Sending Kids To School: Surveys
• Family Of Missing Mother Found Dead Wants Justice
• Regional Retailer Closes; Reward Offered In Missing Teen Case

Toddler, mother injured in drive-by shooting/ Moose euthanized/ Police, Boy Scouts aid family/ Officer assaulted at Home Depot: CT News.>>>Read More.