As Flu Season Arrives, MD Coronavirus Strategy Shifts

MARYLAND — For the second day in a row, Maryland has added more than 700 confirmed cases to its tally of residents infected with the coronavirus. There are now 126,222 cases of the virus in the state, according to the Maryland Department of Health, an increase of 712 in the past day.

With the arrival of flu season, state health experts are pivoting slightly in their fight against the virus, according to Gov. Larry Hogan.

"The confluence of COVID and the flu has required a change in our strategies for the fall," Hogan said at a news conference Thursday, Oct. 1.

"Over the last month, we worked to transition our signature lab at the University of Maryland Baltimore," Hogan said.

The lab, which was processing thousands of coronavirus tests a day, will now be able to test for COVID-19 and types A and B of the flu, according to the governor.

Because the flu and coronavirus share symptoms — fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, headache, muscle pain, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea — testing may be needed to drill down on the cause of flu-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency is preparing for COVID-19 and flu to spread simultaneously, possibly straining the health care system.

As fall and winter arrive, there is "dreaded overlap of two respiratory borne diseases," said Dr. Anthony Fauci. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health was referring to the coronavirus and flu.

People have the ability of "medically avoiding at least one of those," Fauci said at a news conference Thursday, thanks to the flu vaccine. Find where to get a flu shot using the CDC's vaccine finder tool.

"Get a flu vaccine to protect yourselves, your loved ones and your community," Fauci said, noting he was vaccinated two days before.

In Australia, where the flu season was ending, Fauci said public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus coincided with a lighter-than-usual flu season.

These "commonly practiced public health measures are good for both of these," Fauci said of flu and coronavirus:

• Wear a mask.
• Maintain physical distance.
• Avoid crowds.
• Outdoors is better than indoors.
• Wash hands frequently.
• Avoid touching hands, nose and mouth.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces.
• Stay home when sick.

Flu surveillance reports are released weekly by the Maryland Department of Health. The first of the season has not yet been released. Typically flu activity begins in October, then peaks between December and February, according to officials, who say it can last through May.

"Our hospital surge team is doing contingency planning for any potential flu and/or COVID surge," Hogan said this week, noting Maryland health experts were "looking at, planning for and trying to prevent and mitigate against a potential surge in the fall."

Here is a look at Maryland's coronavirus numbers as of Friday, Oct. 2:

Coronavirus testing is free and available statewide. Find a testing site.

See Also:

• Nursing Homes Resume Indoor Visits, Day Cares Fully Reopen: Hogan
• No Coronavirus Deaths Reported Oct. 1 In Maryland, Officials Say
• Coronavirus Life: How To Handle Flu Season During The COVID-19 Pandemic