CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-US"> <head > <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <meta name='robots' content='index, follow, max-image-preview:large, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1' />  <title>The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19 - Clinical Conversations</title> <meta name="description" content="Public health officials are warning about the possibility of a “twindemic,” as the persistence of high SARS-CoV-2 infection levels intersect with flu season." /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Public health officials are warning about the possibility of a “twindemic,” as the persistence of high SARS-CoV-2 infection levels intersect with flu season." /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Clinical Conversations" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/thermofisher" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2021-02-12T23:44:35+00:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2022-10-06T23:10:36+00:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/11/col017724-gts-ba-sh1661786023310x274.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="310" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="274" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <meta name="author" content="AnalyteGuru Staff" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@thermofisher" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@thermofisher" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="AnalyteGuru Staff" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Est. reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="5 minutes" /> <script type="application/ld+json" class="yoast-schema-graph">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/","url":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/","name":"The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19 - Clinical Conversations","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/11/col017724-gts-ba-sh1661786023310x274.jpg","datePublished":"2021-02-12T23:44:35+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-06T23:10:36+00:00","author":{"@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/#/schema/person/47226155467d66d692f24162ee320270"},"description":"Public health officials are warning about the possibility of a “twindemic,” as the persistence of high SARS-CoV-2 infection levels intersect with flu season.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/#primaryimage","url":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/11/col017724-gts-ba-sh1661786023310x274.jpg","contentUrl":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/11/col017724-gts-ba-sh1661786023310x274.jpg","width":310,"height":274,"caption":"sars-cov-2 on a green background"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/#website","url":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/","name":"Clinical Conversations","description":"Molecular testing content for clinical lab professionals and clinicians","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/#/schema/person/47226155467d66d692f24162ee320270","name":"AnalyteGuru Staff","url":"https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/author/kerrycolligan/"}]}</script>  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//www.thermofisher.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//stats.wp.com' /> <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//use.fontawesome.com' /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Clinical Conversations » Feed" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Clinical Conversations » Comments Feed" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/comments/feed/" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Clinical Conversations » The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19 Comments Feed" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19/feed/" />  <script src="https://cdn.optimizely.com/js/8156647427.js"></script>  <script> (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){ h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)}; h._hjSettings={hjid:373708,hjsv:5}; a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1; r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv; a.appendChild(r); })(window,document,'//static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv='); </script>  <script src="//www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-TJ18KZWFVE" data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript" async></script> <script data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript"> var mi_version = '9.2.0'; var mi_track_user = true; var mi_no_track_reason = ''; var MonsterInsightsDefaultLocations = {"page_location":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19\/"}; if ( typeof MonsterInsightsPrivacyGuardFilter === 'function' ) { var MonsterInsightsLocations = (typeof MonsterInsightsExcludeQuery === 'object') ? MonsterInsightsPrivacyGuardFilter( MonsterInsightsExcludeQuery ) : MonsterInsightsPrivacyGuardFilter( MonsterInsightsDefaultLocations ); } else { var MonsterInsightsLocations = (typeof MonsterInsightsExcludeQuery === 'object') ? MonsterInsightsExcludeQuery : MonsterInsightsDefaultLocations; } var disableStrs = [ 'ga-disable-G-TJ18KZWFVE', ]; /* Function to detect opted out users */ function __gtagTrackerIsOptedOut() { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { if (document.cookie.indexOf(disableStrs[index] + '=true') > -1) { return true; } } return false; } /* Disable tracking if the opt-out cookie exists. */ if (__gtagTrackerIsOptedOut()) { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { window[disableStrs[index]] = true; } } /* Opt-out function */ function __gtagTrackerOptout() { for (var index = 0; index < disableStrs.length; index++) { document.cookie = disableStrs[index] + '=true; expires=Thu, 31 Dec 2099 23:59:59 UTC; path=/'; window[disableStrs[index]] = true; } } if ('undefined' === typeof gaOptout) { function gaOptout() { __gtagTrackerOptout(); } } window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; window.MonsterInsightsDualTracker = { helpers: {}, trackers: {}, }; if (mi_track_user) { function __gtagDataLayer() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } function __gtagTracker(type, name, parameters) { if (!parameters) { parameters = {}; } if (parameters.send_to) { __gtagDataLayer.apply(null, arguments); return; } if (type === 'event') { parameters.send_to = monsterinsights_frontend.v4_id; var hookName = name; if (typeof parameters['event_category'] !== 'undefined') { hookName = parameters['event_category'] + ':' + name; } if (typeof MonsterInsightsDualTracker.trackers[hookName] !== 'undefined') { MonsterInsightsDualTracker.trackers[hookName](parameters); } else { __gtagDataLayer('event', name, parameters); } } else { __gtagDataLayer.apply(null, arguments); } } __gtagTracker('js', new Date()); __gtagTracker('set', { 'developer_id.dZGIzZG': true, }); if ( MonsterInsightsLocations.page_location ) { __gtagTracker('set', MonsterInsightsLocations); } __gtagTracker('config', 'G-TJ18KZWFVE', {"use_amp_client_id":"true","forceSSL":"true","link_attribution":"true","author":"AnalyteGuru Staff","category":"Science and education","published_at":"2021-02-12T15:44:35-08:00","tags":"content-Podcast,COVID-19,Infectious disease,Influenza,RSV,sars-cov-2"} ); window.gtag = __gtagTracker; (function () { /* https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/ */ /* ga and __gaTracker compatibility shim. */ var noopfn = function () { return null; }; var newtracker = function () { return new Tracker(); }; var Tracker = function () { return null; }; var p = Tracker.prototype; p.get = noopfn; p.set = noopfn; p.send = function () { var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments); args.unshift('send'); __gaTracker.apply(null, args); }; var __gaTracker = function () { var len = arguments.length; if (len === 0) { return; } var f = arguments[len - 1]; if (typeof f !== 'object' || f === null || typeof f.hitCallback !== 'function') { if ('send' === arguments[0]) { var hitConverted, hitObject = false, action; if ('event' === arguments[1]) { if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[3]) { hitObject = { 'eventAction': arguments[3], 'eventCategory': arguments[2], 'eventLabel': arguments[4], 'value': arguments[5] ? arguments[5] : 1, } } } if ('pageview' === arguments[1]) { if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[2]) { hitObject = { 'eventAction': 'page_view', 'page_path': arguments[2], } } } if (typeof arguments[2] === 'object') { hitObject = arguments[2]; } if (typeof arguments[5] === 'object') { Object.assign(hitObject, arguments[5]); } if ('undefined' !== typeof arguments[1].hitType) { hitObject = arguments[1]; if ('pageview' === hitObject.hitType) { hitObject.eventAction = 'page_view'; } } if (hitObject) { action = 'timing' === arguments[1].hitType ? 'timing_complete' : hitObject.eventAction; hitConverted = mapArgs(hitObject); __gtagTracker('event', action, hitConverted); } } return; } function mapArgs(args) { var arg, hit = {}; var gaMap = { 'eventCategory': 'event_category', 'eventAction': 'event_action', 'eventLabel': 'event_label', 'eventValue': 'event_value', 'nonInteraction': 'non_interaction', 'timingCategory': 'event_category', 'timingVar': 'name', 'timingValue': 'value', 'timingLabel': 'event_label', 'page': 'page_path', 'location': 'page_location', 'title': 'page_title', 'referrer' : 'page_referrer', }; for (arg in args) { if (!(!args.hasOwnProperty(arg) || !gaMap.hasOwnProperty(arg))) { hit[gaMap[arg]] = args[arg]; } else { hit[arg] = args[arg]; } } return hit; } try { f.hitCallback(); } catch (ex) { } }; __gaTracker.create = newtracker; __gaTracker.getByName = newtracker; __gaTracker.getAll = function () { return []; }; __gaTracker.remove = noopfn; __gaTracker.loaded = true; window['__gaTracker'] = __gaTracker; })(); } else { console.log(""); (function () { function __gtagTracker() { return null; } window['__gtagTracker'] = __gtagTracker; window['gtag'] = __gtagTracker; })(); } </script>  <link rel='stylesheet' id='clinical-conversations-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/style.css?ver=1.2.81732677028' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-block-library-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/css/dist/block-library/style.min.css?ver=6.6.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='mediaelement-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/mediaelement/mediaelementplayer-legacy.min.css?ver=4.2.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='wp-mediaelement-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-mediaelement.min.css?ver=6.6.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> <style id='jetpack-sharing-buttons-style-inline-css' type='text/css'> .jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list{display:flex;flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0;list-style-type:none;margin:5px;padding:0}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-small-icon-size{font-size:12px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-normal-icon-size{font-size:16px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-large-icon-size{font-size:24px}.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-huge-icon-size{font-size:36px}@media print{.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list{display:none!important}}.editor-styles-wrapper .wp-block-jetpack-sharing-buttons{gap:0;padding-inline-start:0}ul.jetpack-sharing-buttons__services-list.has-background{padding:1.25em 2.375em} </style> <style id='classic-theme-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> /*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} </style> <style id='global-styles-inline-css' type='text/css'> :root{--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--square: 1;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--4-3: 4/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-4: 3/4;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--3-2: 3/2;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--2-3: 2/3;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--16-9: 16/9;--wp--preset--aspect-ratio--9-16: 9/16;--wp--preset--color--black: #000000;--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray: #abb8c3;--wp--preset--color--white: #ffffff;--wp--preset--color--pale-pink: #f78da7;--wp--preset--color--vivid-red: #cf2e2e;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange: #ff6900;--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber: #fcb900;--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan: #7bdcb5;--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan: #00d084;--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue: #8ed1fc;--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue: #0693e3;--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple: #9b51e0;--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(6,147,227,1) 0%,rgb(155,81,224) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(122,220,180) 0%,rgb(0,208,130) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(252,185,0,1) 0%,rgba(255,105,0,1) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red: linear-gradient(135deg,rgba(255,105,0,1) 0%,rgb(207,46,46) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(238,238,238) 0%,rgb(169,184,195) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(74,234,220) 0%,rgb(151,120,209) 20%,rgb(207,42,186) 40%,rgb(238,44,130) 60%,rgb(251,105,98) 80%,rgb(254,248,76) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,206,236) 0%,rgb(152,150,240) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(254,205,165) 0%,rgb(254,45,45) 50%,rgb(107,0,62) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,203,112) 0%,rgb(199,81,192) 50%,rgb(65,88,208) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 50%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(202,248,128) 0%,rgb(113,206,126) 100%);--wp--preset--gradient--midnight: linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(2,3,129) 0%,rgb(40,116,252) 100%);--wp--preset--font-size--small: 13px;--wp--preset--font-size--medium: 20px;--wp--preset--font-size--large: 36px;--wp--preset--font-size--x-large: 42px;--wp--preset--spacing--20: 0.44rem;--wp--preset--spacing--30: 0.67rem;--wp--preset--spacing--40: 1rem;--wp--preset--spacing--50: 1.5rem;--wp--preset--spacing--60: 2.25rem;--wp--preset--spacing--70: 3.38rem;--wp--preset--spacing--80: 5.06rem;--wp--preset--shadow--natural: 6px 6px 9px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--deep: 12px 12px 50px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);--wp--preset--shadow--sharp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);--wp--preset--shadow--outlined: 6px 6px 0px -3px rgba(255, 255, 255, 1), 6px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);--wp--preset--shadow--crisp: 6px 6px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);}:where(.is-layout-flex){gap: 0.5em;}:where(.is-layout-grid){gap: 0.5em;}body .is-layout-flex{display: flex;}.is-layout-flex{flex-wrap: wrap;align-items: center;}.is-layout-flex > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}body .is-layout-grid{display: grid;}.is-layout-grid > :is(*, div){margin: 0;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;}.has-black-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-color{color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-background-color{background-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-black-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--black) !important;}.has-cyan-bluish-gray-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-white-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--white) !important;}.has-pale-pink-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-pink) !important;}.has-vivid-red-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-red) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--luminous-vivid-amber) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--light-green-cyan) !important;}.has-vivid-green-cyan-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-pale-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--pale-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-cyan-blue) !important;}.has-vivid-purple-border-color{border-color: var(--wp--preset--color--vivid-purple) !important;}.has-vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--vivid-cyan-blue-to-vivid-purple) !important;}.has-light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--light-green-cyan-to-vivid-green-cyan) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange) !important;}.has-luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-vivid-orange-to-vivid-red) !important;}.has-very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--very-light-gray-to-cyan-bluish-gray) !important;}.has-cool-to-warm-spectrum-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--cool-to-warm-spectrum) !important;}.has-blush-light-purple-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-light-purple) !important;}.has-blush-bordeaux-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--blush-bordeaux) !important;}.has-luminous-dusk-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--luminous-dusk) !important;}.has-pale-ocean-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--pale-ocean) !important;}.has-electric-grass-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--electric-grass) !important;}.has-midnight-gradient-background{background: var(--wp--preset--gradient--midnight) !important;}.has-small-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--small) !important;}.has-medium-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--medium) !important;}.has-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--large) !important;}.has-x-large-font-size{font-size: var(--wp--preset--font-size--x-large) !important;} :where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-flex){gap: 1.25em;}:where(.wp-block-post-template.is-layout-grid){gap: 1.25em;} :where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-flex){gap: 2em;}:where(.wp-block-columns.is-layout-grid){gap: 2em;} :root :where(.wp-block-pullquote){font-size: 1.5em;line-height: 1.6;} </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gform_basic-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/css/dist/basic.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gform_theme_components-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/css/dist/theme-components.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gform_theme_ie11-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/css/dist/theme-ie11.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gform_theme-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/css/dist/theme.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gforms_reset_css-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/legacy/css/formreset.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gforms_formsmain_css-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/legacy/css/formsmain.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gforms_ready_class_css-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/legacy/css/readyclass.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='gforms_browsers_css-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/legacy/css/browsers.min.css?ver=2.8.17' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='globals-css' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/global-style.css?ver=1687285059' type='text/css' media='' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='bfa-font-awesome-css' href='https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/css/all.css?ver=2.0.3' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='bfa-font-awesome-v4-shim-css' href='https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/css/v4-shims.css?ver=2.0.3' type='text/css' media='all' /> <style id='bfa-font-awesome-v4-shim-inline-css' type='text/css'> @font-face { font-family: 'FontAwesome'; src: url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.eot'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff') format('woff'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.ttf') format('truetype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-brands-400.svg#fontawesome') format('svg'); } @font-face { font-family: 'FontAwesome'; src: url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.eot'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.woff') format('woff'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.ttf') format('truetype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-solid-900.svg#fontawesome') format('svg'); } @font-face { font-family: 'FontAwesome'; src: url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.eot'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.eot?#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.woff') format('woff'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.ttf') format('truetype'), url('https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.15.4/webfonts/fa-regular-400.svg#fontawesome') format('svg'); unicode-range: U+F004-F005,U+F007,U+F017,U+F022,U+F024,U+F02E,U+F03E,U+F044,U+F057-F059,U+F06E,U+F070,U+F075,U+F07B-F07C,U+F080,U+F086,U+F089,U+F094,U+F09D,U+F0A0,U+F0A4-F0A7,U+F0C5,U+F0C7-F0C8,U+F0E0,U+F0EB,U+F0F3,U+F0F8,U+F0FE,U+F111,U+F118-F11A,U+F11C,U+F133,U+F144,U+F146,U+F14A,U+F14D-F14E,U+F150-F152,U+F15B-F15C,U+F164-F165,U+F185-F186,U+F191-F192,U+F1AD,U+F1C1-F1C9,U+F1CD,U+F1D8,U+F1E3,U+F1EA,U+F1F6,U+F1F9,U+F20A,U+F247-F249,U+F24D,U+F254-F25B,U+F25D,U+F267,U+F271-F274,U+F279,U+F28B,U+F28D,U+F2B5-F2B6,U+F2B9,U+F2BB,U+F2BD,U+F2C1-F2C2,U+F2D0,U+F2D2,U+F2DC,U+F2ED,U+F328,U+F358-F35B,U+F3A5,U+F3D1,U+F410,U+F4AD; } </style> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/google-analytics-premium/assets/js/frontend-gtag.min.js?ver=9.2.0" id="monsterinsights-frontend-script-js" async="async" data-wp-strategy="async"></script> <script data-cfasync="false" data-wpfc-render="false" type="text/javascript" id='monsterinsights-frontend-script-js-extra'>/* <![CDATA[ */ var monsterinsights_frontend = {"js_events_tracking":"true","download_extensions":"doc,pdf,ppt,zip,xls,docx,pptx,xlsx","inbound_paths":"[{\"path\":\"\\\/go\\\/\",\"label\":\"affiliate\"},{\"path\":\"\\\/recommend\\\/\",\"label\":\"affiliate\"}]","home_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations","hash_tracking":"false","v4_id":"G-TJ18KZWFVE"};/* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.min.js?ver=3.7.1" id="jquery-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js?ver=3.4.1" id="jquery-migrate-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/mashshare-google-analytics/assets/js/mashga.min.js?ver=1.0.9" id="mashga-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/underscore.min.js?ver=1.13.4" id="underscore-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/backbone.min.js?ver=1.5.0" id="backbone-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="wp-api-js-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var WP_API_Settings = {"root":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations","nonce":"29e0fbf17e"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/wp-search-live/public/assets/js/util--wp-api.js?ver=0.9" id="wp-api-js-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/js/jquery.json.min.js?ver=2.8.17" id="gform_json-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="gform_gravityforms-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var gf_global = {"gf_currency_config":{"name":"U.S. Dollar","symbol_left":"$","symbol_right":"","symbol_padding":"","thousand_separator":",","decimal_separator":".","decimals":2,"code":"USD"},"base_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms","number_formats":[],"spinnerUrl":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg","version_hash":"4a792b070322e711c2521ee9802c04ea","strings":{"newRowAdded":"New row added.","rowRemoved":"Row removed","formSaved":"The form has been saved. The content contains the link to return and complete the form."}}; var gf_global = {"gf_currency_config":{"name":"U.S. Dollar","symbol_left":"$","symbol_right":"","symbol_padding":"","thousand_separator":",","decimal_separator":".","decimals":2,"code":"USD"},"base_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms","number_formats":[],"spinnerUrl":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images\/spinner.svg","version_hash":"4a792b070322e711c2521ee9802c04ea","strings":{"newRowAdded":"New row added.","rowRemoved":"Row removed","formSaved":"The form has been saved. The content contains the link to return and complete the form."}}; var gform_i18n = {"datepicker":{"days":{"monday":"Mo","tuesday":"Tu","wednesday":"We","thursday":"Th","friday":"Fr","saturday":"Sa","sunday":"Su"},"months":{"january":"January","february":"February","march":"March","april":"April","may":"May","june":"June","july":"July","august":"August","september":"September","october":"October","november":"November","december":"December"},"firstDay":1,"iconText":"Select date"}}; var gf_legacy_multi = {"1":"","":"1"}; var gform_gravityforms = {"strings":{"invalid_file_extension":"This type of file is not allowed. Must be one of the following:","delete_file":"Delete this file","in_progress":"in progress","file_exceeds_limit":"File exceeds size limit","illegal_extension":"This type of file is not allowed.","max_reached":"Maximum number of files reached","unknown_error":"There was a problem while saving the file on the server","currently_uploading":"Please wait for the uploading to complete","cancel":"Cancel","cancel_upload":"Cancel this upload","cancelled":"Cancelled"},"vars":{"images_url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/images"}}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" id="gform_gravityforms-js-before"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var gform;gform||(document.addEventListener("gform_main_scripts_loaded",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?o():!gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?window.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",o):document.addEventListener("gform_main_scripts_loaded",o)},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook("action",o,n,r,t)},addFilter:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook("filter",o,n,r,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook("action",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook("filter",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,n){gform.removeHook("action",o,n)},removeFilter:function(o,n,r){gform.removeHook("filter",o,n,r)},addHook:function(o,n,r,t,i){null==gform.hooks[o][n]&&(gform.hooks[o][n]=[]);var e=gform.hooks[o][n];null==i&&(i=n+"_"+e.length),gform.hooks[o][n].push({tag:i,callable:r,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(n,o,r){var t;if(r=Array.prototype.slice.call(r,1),null!=gform.hooks[n][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[n][o]).sort(function(o,n){return o.priority-n.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){"function"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),"action"==n?t.apply(null,r):r[0]=t.apply(null,r)})),"filter"==n)return r[0]},removeHook:function(o,n,t,i){var r;null!=gform.hooks[o][n]&&(r=(r=gform.hooks[o][n]).filter(function(o,n,r){return!!(null!=i&&i!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][n]=r)}}); /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/js/gravityforms.min.js?ver=2.8.17" id="gform_gravityforms-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/js/chosen.jquery.min.js?ver=2.8.17" id="gform_chosen-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/js/dist/utils.min.js?ver=50c7bea9c2320e16728e44ae9fde5f26" id="gform_gravityforms_utils-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/js/single-scripts.js?ver=1.2.81732677028" id="single-scripts-js"></script> <link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-json/" /><link rel="alternate" title="JSON" type="application/json" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/408" /><link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> <link rel='shortlink' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/?p=408' /> <link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (JSON)" type="application/json+oembed" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F" /> <link rel="alternate" title="oEmbed (XML)" type="text/xml+oembed" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F&format=xml" />  <style>img#wpstats{display:none}</style> <link rel="icon" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/favicon.ico" /> <link rel="pingback" href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/xmlrpc.php" /> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","mainEntityofPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/clinical-conversations\/the-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19\/"},"headline":"The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19","datePublished":"02\/12\/2021","dateModified":"02\/12\/2021","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Thermo Fisher Scientific","URL":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/us\/en\/home.html","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/themes\/clinical-conversations\/images\/logo.png"}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/11\/col017724-gts-ba-sh1661786023310x274.jpg","width":310,"height":274},"keywords":"content-Podcast, COVID-19, Infectious disease, Influenza, RSV, sars-cov-2, ","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AnalyteGuru Staff"}} </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/etc/designs/lifetech/clientlibs/digitaldata.js" defer="defer"></script> <script id="tagmanager" type="text/javascript" src='https://assets.adobedtm.com/launch-ENeecb77f1160a4928a492ff040f7110c7.min.js' defer="defer"></script> <script> (function($) { $(document).ready(function() { digitalData.setPageType('blog'); }) })(jQuery); </script> </head> <body class="post-template-default single single-post postid-408 single-format-standard header-image header-full-width full-width-content genesis-breadcrumbs-hidden"><div class="site-container"><header class="site-header"><div class="wrap"><div class="title-area"><p class="site-title"><a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/" title="Thermo Fisher Scientific">Thermo Fisher Scientific</a></p><p class="site-description">Molecular testing content for clinical lab professionals and clinicians</p></div></div></header> <nav role="navigation" class="top-menu tm" style=""> <ul> <li><a href="#" aria-haspopup="true">Categories<div data-uw-styling-context="true"><b data-uw-styling-context="true"></b></div></a> <ul class="dropdown" aria-label="submenu"> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/science-and-education/">Science and education</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/product-news/">Product news</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/case-studies/">Case studies</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/perspectives/">Perspectives</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/events/">Events</a></li> <li><a href=" https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/news/">News</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </nav> <div class="site-inner"><div class="content-sidebar-wrap"><main class="content"><article class="post-408 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail category-science-and-education tag-content-podcast tag-covid-19 tag-infectious-disease tag-influenza tag-rsv tag-sars-cov-2 entry" aria-label="The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19"><header class="entry-header"><h1 class="entry-title">The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19</h1> <script type="text/javascript"> function cc_toggle(id){ var s = document.getElementById(id); if(isHidden(s)){ s.style.display = 'inline'; } else { s.style.display = 'none'; } } function isHidden(element){ var style = window.getComputedStyle(element); return (style.display === 'none'); } </script> <span class="cc_sidebar"> <span class="cc_color_bar"> <span class="cc_home_icon"> <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/"><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/icon_home.png" alt="Clinical Conversation blog - home icon" /></a> </span> <span class="cc_post_category"> <a class='cc_colorbar_category' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/category/science-and-education/'>Science and education</a> </span>  <span id="cc_post_readtime"> 5 mins. </span> <span class="cc_toggle_social"> <a href="javascript:cc_toggle('cc_jetpack_shares');">Sharing ▼</a> </span> <span class="cc_toggle"> <a href="javascript:cc_toggle('cc_metadata');">Details ▼</a> </span> </span> </span> <span id="cc_jetpack_shares"> <ul> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F&title=The+Twindemic%3A+Seasonal+Flu+and+COVID-19'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_linkedin.jpg" alt="Linked In sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_facebook.jpg" alt="Facebook sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The+Twindemic%3A+Seasonal+Flu+and+COVID-19&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F&'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_twitter.jpg" alt="Twitter sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a href='mailto:?subject=You might be interested in The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19 from the Clinical Conversations blog.&body=You might be interested in The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19 from the Clinical Conversations blog at https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fthe-twindemic-seasonal-flu-and-covid-19%2F'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/icon_email.png" alt="Email sharing icon" /></a></li> </ul> </span> <span id="cc_metadata"> <span class="cc_dateline"> <span class="post-info-date">  12 Feb 2021 </span> || <span class="post-info-author">   By Manoj Gandhi, M.D., Ph.D. </span> </span> <span class="cc_shares"> <span class="cc_shares_subhead" >Shares: <span class="share_count">0</span> </span> </span> <span class="cc_version"> <span class="cc_version_subhead">Versions of this article</span> Original article. </span> <span class="cc_post_tags"> <span class="cc_post_tags_subhead">Tags</span> <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/covid-19/'>COVID-19</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/infectious-disease/'>Infectious disease</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/influenza/'>Influenza</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/rsv/'>RSV</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/sars-cov-2/'>Sars-cov-2</a> </span>   </span> <script type="text/javascript"> cc_toggle('cc_metadata'); cc_toggle('cc_jetpack_shares'); </script> </header><div class="entry-content"><p>Public health officials have been warning about the possibility of an oncoming “twindemic,” as the persistence of high SARS-CoV-2 infection levels has brought the virus into the Northern Hemisphere winter and, thus, into flu season.</p> <p>This poses numerous challenges to healthcare systems in affected areas. Ron O’Brien, host of Science with a Twist, spoke with Dr. Stephen Young, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at the University of New Mexico and Director of Research and Clinical Trials of TriCore Reference Laboratories, in his podcast.</p> <div style="background-color: #ebf2fa;padding: 20px"> <p><img decoding="async" id="cc_image_thumbnail" style="width: 157px;height: auto;margin: 10px 10px 10px 0" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2021/02/science-with-a-twist.jpg" alt="" align="left" /></p> <h3><a href="https://science-with-a-twist.simplecast.com/episodes/twindemic">Twindemic: How the Seasonal Flu Collides with the COVID-19 Pandemic</a></h3> <p><strong>Episode summary</strong></p> <p>Ron O’Brien speaks with Dr. Stephen Young, an expert in Microbiology, with a background in pathology, virology, and infectious diseases. They discuss what we should know during the potential viral storm produced by the collision of the seasonal flu and the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> </div> <p> </p> <p>“As the weather cools,” Dr. Young explains, “people tend to congregate in groups inside, and that enhances the spread.” This is a fact of life that helps explain the idea of cold and flu season. Pathogens are not directly influenced by seasons, but human behavior makes diseases easier to catch, and that bodes ill for the Northern Hemisphere. This is especially true with winter holidays, where large gatherings have been customary for generations and which often occupy rare stretches of vacation time.</p> <p>But Dr. Young also sees cause for hope. Masks, frequent handwashing, and distancing are effective against other infectious diseases in addition to COVID-19, and data from the Southern Hemisphere winter suggests that, in places that have enthusiastically embraced these protective measures, the “twindemic” will not be nearly as dramatic as others fear.</p> <p>“I think the data is fairly compelling that, when you look at the Southern Hemisphere and the absence of influenza virus where they practice social distancing, masks, and handwashing…[It] is compelling enough to me as a virologist to say that this stuff does work.”</p> <p>Instead of a true twindemic, there may be a smaller spike in influenza and other respiratory infections when these measures are relaxed, such as when a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine becomes widely available, as these conditions return to baseline levels. Time will tell which scenario is the one that unfolds in the United States, Canada, and Europe.</p> <p>The twindemic is a serious concern for healthcare providers because it complicates differential diagnosis and creates the possibility of patients infected with both simultaneously. IVD multiplex panels, such as those with an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) label from the US FDA or a CE-IVD mark in Europe, are a benefit here, reducing the time and effort needed for differential diagnosis and enabling treatment to be more specific.</p> <p>At TriCore Reference Laboratories, these multiplex tests are the first line of testing and can be enough for definitive answers much of the time, since versions exist that can cover both influenza and SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and even more pathogens, especially in hospital settings.</p> <p>Dr. Young highlights an underappreciated reason why knowing which disease affects a specific patient is important: hospitals are major sites of cross-infection and maintaining separate wards for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infections is critical to keeping both diseases from sweeping through these enclosed, vulnerable populations of people infected with the other.</p> <p>Additionally, the antivirals used to treat acute SARS-CoV-2 infection differ from those used for influenza and both are most effective early in an infection, making rapid, accurate diagnosis a matter of life and death.</p> <p>Treating a patient for the wrong condition can be dangerous both in time wasted and in side effects of the unneeded medication, making this a scenario to avoid. Dr. Young hopes that people will seek diagnosis early, when the biggest differences can be made, to keep either deadly disease from spreading in their households and avoid the worst of either.</p> <p>These complications make flu shots perhaps even more important this year than in other years. Flu vaccines protect against common strains and reduce susceptibility to the flu more broadly, decreasing infection rates and making the remaining cases milder.</p> <p>“I don’t know that it’ll prevent it,” Dr. Young offers on the subject of the twindemic, but “I would encourage them to get a flu shot this year. My reasoning behind that is, we want to decrease disease burden as much as possible.”</p> <p>The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines currently exiting initial trials offer some hope, but Stephen suggests cautious rather than celebratory optimism. “This virus will be with us for a while,” he reminds listeners, because of people who reject vaccination or cannot safely be vaccinated, such as small children and elderly people whose immune systems are weakening.</p> <p>Even if a truly effective vaccine is developed that does not have to be adjusted regularly like the flu shot is, it is unlikely to eliminate the disease entirely within a few months and, without a nigh-universal vaccination regime, it is even less likely to permanently eliminate SARS-CoV-2 the way the smallpox vaccine eliminated smallpox and the polio vaccine is almost done eliminating polio.</p> <p>Much-vaunted herd immunity, likewise, depends on extremely high vaccination rates that prevents infected people from encountering those susceptible to the diseases they carry, such that the conditions they do contract do not spread farther.</p> <p>Dr. Young has one more observation from his professional expertise: “What we don’t know are the long-term effects. This virus is very aggressive. It attacks endothelial cells.” With such a new disorder and with mounting evidence that the long-term consequences of infection are severe and only beginning to be understood, it is possible that even asymptomatic people will carry long-term effects that will not be known or even detectable for years to come.</p> <p>SARS-CoV-2 is a viral threat unlike any modern society has ever faced, and Dr. Young leaves us with one last, poignant thought: “If we don’t sacrifice some of our individual liberties, we won’t survive as a society.”</p> <p> </p> <p>Thermo Fisher Scientific offers multiplex real-time PCR diagnostic kits for the detecting and differentiating SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Find out more in our “<a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/ask-a-scientist/differentiating-multiple-respiratory-viruses-with-a-single-test/">Differentiating Multiple Respiratory Viruses with a Single Test</a>” blog.</p> <p>Explore more our full portfolio of COVID-19 testing solutions at <a href="http://www.thermofisher.com/covid19">www.thermofisher.com/covid19</a>.</p>  </div></article></main></div></div><footer class="site-footer"><div class="wrap"><div class="creds"><p class="footer-links"><a href="https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/footer/privacy-statement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Statement</a><a href="https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/footer/terms-and-conditions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terms & Conditions</a><a href="/blog/locations/">Locations</a><a href="/blog/sitemap/">Sitemap</a></p><p>© 2024 <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com">Thermo Fisher Scientific</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p></div><div><div id="crumbs"><a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations">Home</a> > <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/science-and-education/">Science and education</a> > <span class="current">The Twindemic: Seasonal Flu and COVID-19</span></div><span class="social-links"><p>Talk to us</p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thermofisher" class="facebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-icon fa-facebook"></i></a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/thermo-fisher-scientific" class="linkedin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-icon fa-linkedin"></i></a><a href="https://twitter.com/thermofisher" class="twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-icon fa-twitter"></i></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/thermofisher" class="youtube" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i class="fa fa-icon fa-youtube"></i></a></span></div></div></footer> <script class="wya">jQuery('#cc_jetpack_shares li').on('click',function(){ jQuery.post( "https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php", { // here we declare the parameters to send along with the request // this means the following action hooks will be fired: action : 'update_share_count', // other parameters can be added along with "action" data: {"postId":"d2QzV01EMlgvQzNId3M0M0tWMzd0UT09"} }, function( res,code,xhr) { jQuery('.share_count').html(parseInt(jQuery('.share_count').html())+1) } ).fail(function(res) { }); }) </script> </div>  <script type="text/html" id="wpls--tmpl"> <li class="search-result"> <a href="<%= post.link %>"> <div class="wpls--item-title-wrap"> <h4 class="wpls--item-title"><%= post.title %></h4> </div> </a> </li> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> /* MonsterInsights Scroll Tracking */ if ( typeof(jQuery) !== 'undefined' ) { jQuery( document ).ready(function(){ function monsterinsights_scroll_tracking_load() { if ( ( typeof(__gaTracker) !== 'undefined' && __gaTracker && __gaTracker.hasOwnProperty( "loaded" ) && __gaTracker.loaded == true ) || ( typeof(__gtagTracker) !== 'undefined' && __gtagTracker ) ) { (function(factory) { factory(jQuery); }(function($) { /* Scroll Depth */ "use strict"; var defaults = { percentage: true }; var $window = $(window), cache = [], scrollEventBound = false, lastPixelDepth = 0; /* * Plugin */ $.scrollDepth = function(options) { var startTime = +new Date(); options = $.extend({}, defaults, options); /* * Functions */ function sendEvent(action, label, scrollDistance, timing) { if ( 'undefined' === typeof MonsterInsightsObject || 'undefined' === typeof MonsterInsightsObject.sendEvent ) { return; } var paramName = action.toLowerCase(); var fieldsArray = { send_to: 'G-TJ18KZWFVE', non_interaction: true }; fieldsArray[paramName] = label; if (arguments.length > 3) { fieldsArray.scroll_timing = timing MonsterInsightsObject.sendEvent('event', 'scroll_depth', fieldsArray); } else { MonsterInsightsObject.sendEvent('event', 'scroll_depth', fieldsArray); } } function calculateMarks(docHeight) { return { '25%' : parseInt(docHeight * 0.25, 10), '50%' : parseInt(docHeight * 0.50, 10), '75%' : parseInt(docHeight * 0.75, 10), /* Cushion to trigger 100% event in iOS */ '100%': docHeight - 5 }; } function checkMarks(marks, scrollDistance, timing) { /* Check each active mark */ $.each(marks, function(key, val) { if ( $.inArray(key, cache) === -1 && scrollDistance >= val ) { sendEvent('Percentage', key, scrollDistance, timing); cache.push(key); } }); } function rounded(scrollDistance) { /* Returns String */ return (Math.floor(scrollDistance/250) * 250).toString(); } function init() { bindScrollDepth(); } /* * Public Methods */ /* Reset Scroll Depth with the originally initialized options */ $.scrollDepth.reset = function() { cache = []; lastPixelDepth = 0; $window.off('scroll.scrollDepth'); bindScrollDepth(); }; /* Add DOM elements to be tracked */ $.scrollDepth.addElements = function(elems) { if (typeof elems == "undefined" || !$.isArray(elems)) { return; } $.merge(options.elements, elems); /* If scroll event has been unbound from window, rebind */ if (!scrollEventBound) { bindScrollDepth(); } }; /* Remove DOM elements currently tracked */ $.scrollDepth.removeElements = function(elems) { if (typeof elems == "undefined" || !$.isArray(elems)) { return; } $.each(elems, function(index, elem) { var inElementsArray = $.inArray(elem, options.elements); var inCacheArray = $.inArray(elem, cache); if (inElementsArray != -1) { options.elements.splice(inElementsArray, 1); } if (inCacheArray != -1) { cache.splice(inCacheArray, 1); } }); }; /* * Throttle function borrowed from: * Underscore.js 1.5.2 * http://underscorejs.org * (c) 2009-2013 Jeremy Ashkenas, DocumentCloud and Investigative Reporters & Editors * Underscore may be freely distributed under the MIT license. */ function throttle(func, wait) { var context, args, result; var timeout = null; var previous = 0; var later = function() { previous = new Date; timeout = null; result = func.apply(context, args); }; return function() { var now = new Date; if (!previous) previous = now; var remaining = wait - (now - previous); context = this; args = arguments; if (remaining <= 0) { clearTimeout(timeout); timeout = null; previous = now; result = func.apply(context, args); } else if (!timeout) { timeout = setTimeout(later, remaining); } return result; }; } /* * Scroll Event */ function bindScrollDepth() { scrollEventBound = true; $window.on('scroll.scrollDepth', throttle(function() { /* * We calculate document and window height on each scroll event to * account for dynamic DOM changes. */ var docHeight = $(document).height(), winHeight = window.innerHeight ? window.innerHeight : $window.height(), scrollDistance = $window.scrollTop() + winHeight, /* Recalculate percentage marks */ marks = calculateMarks(docHeight), /* Timing */ timing = +new Date - startTime; checkMarks(marks, scrollDistance, timing); }, 500)); } init(); }; /* UMD export */ return $.scrollDepth; })); jQuery.scrollDepth(); } else { setTimeout(monsterinsights_scroll_tracking_load, 200); } } monsterinsights_scroll_tracking_load(); }); } /* End MonsterInsights Scroll Tracking */ </script><script type="text/javascript" id="wpls-script-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var wp_search_vars = {"helperText":"one more character","api":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/wp-json\/as\/v1\/all-posts\/18"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/wp-search-live/public/assets/js/wp-live-search.js?ver=0.9" id="wpls-script-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/comment-reply.min.js?ver=6.6.1" id="comment-reply-js" async="async" data-wp-strategy="async"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/dist/dom-ready.min.js?ver=f77871ff7694fffea381" id="wp-dom-ready-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/dist/hooks.min.js?ver=2810c76e705dd1a53b18" id="wp-hooks-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/dist/i18n.min.js?ver=5e580eb46a90c2b997e6" id="wp-i18n-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="wp-i18n-js-after"> /* <![CDATA[ */ wp.i18n.setLocaleData( { 'text direction\u0004ltr': [ 'ltr' ] } ); /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/dist/a11y.min.js?ver=d90eebea464f6c09bfd5" id="wp-a11y-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/js/placeholders.jquery.min.js?ver=2.8.17" id="gform_placeholder-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/js/dist/vendor-theme.min.js?ver=54e7080aa7a02c83aa61fae430b9d869" id="gform_gravityforms_theme_vendors-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="gform_gravityforms_theme-js-extra"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var gform_theme_config = {"common":{"form":{"honeypot":{"version_hash":"4a792b070322e711c2521ee9802c04ea"}}},"hmr_dev":"","public_path":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/clinical-conversations\/wp-content\/plugins\/gravityforms\/assets\/js\/dist\/"}; /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" defer='defer' src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/plugins/gravityforms/assets/js/dist/scripts-theme.min.js?ver=bab19fd84843dabc070e73326d787910" id="gform_gravityforms_theme-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/core.min.js?ver=1.13.3" id="jquery-ui-core-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog//wp-includes/js/jquery/ui/tabs.min.js?ver=1.13.3" id="jquery-ui-tabs-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/js/scripts.js?ver=1.2.81732677028" id="scripts-js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://stats.wp.com/e-202448.js" id="jetpack-stats-js" data-wp-strategy="defer"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="jetpack-stats-js-after"> /* <![CDATA[ */ _stq = window._stq || []; _stq.push([ "view", JSON.parse("{\"v\":\"ext\",\"blog\":\"200000683\",\"post\":\"408\",\"tz\":\"-8\",\"srv\":\"www.thermofisher.com\",\"j\":\"1:13.9.1\"}") ]); _stq.push([ "clickTrackerInit", "200000683", "408" ]); /* ]]> */ </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/K1tG87Y8lf3h/SMnlrP/_GYOkD/LOVucQL4wVLzt1/YxxmKQ/CQB/oTCJAXxg"></script></body></html>