GREENFIELD — Baystate Franklin Medical Center and all hospitals within the Baystate Health system are preparing for a convergence of the annual flu and COVID-19 this fall and winter.
“The state numbers look good — less than 1 percent overall — but we still have to be vigilant and prepare,” said Dr. Kinan Hreib, vice president and chief medical officer for Baystate Health’s northern region. “State health authorities have been on top of things, and the state’s residents have followed the guidelines, for the most part, and that has gone a long way.”
Hreib recommends everyone over the age of 6 months get a flu shot this year, unless there is a medical reason not to do so. He said there is no shortage of the flu vaccine, so people can get them at pharmacies, from their physicians and at clinics.
“The flu season is always a set-up for significant admission to the hospital,” he said. “It appears COVID-19 is a year-round issue, at least that’s what we believe right now, so the two together could become a real problem.”
Hreib said he is optimistic, though.
“The flu, Influenza A and B, is already active in some parts of the world, and so far they don’t seem to be causing a lot of issues like they do some years,” he said. “The United States has seen as many as 60,000 deaths from the flu in some years.”
Local COVID-19 numbers are low right now, and he believes it is because people have been wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hygiene. He said COVID-19 testing has been available to almost everyone who has wanted it in Massachusetts — which has not been the case in some parts of the country — and people have done a good job of sequestering and quarantining themselves.
But, he does fear that as the season turns and temperatures drop, people will move indoors. That’s when COVID-19 and the flu will begin to spread, especially among family and friends.
“As the risk of people exposing themselves to each other grows, so will infections,” he said. “If people continue to wear masks, wash their hands and distance themselves from each other, that will help mitigate.”
Hreib is hopeful that even if COVID-19 numbers start to go up, they won’t be as bad as they were in March, when the pandemic first hit the area.
“We are working on being ready to function in two worlds this fall and winter,” he said. “We shut down to most everything else this past spring as we took care of people with COVID-19. The deferred care we experienced hurt patients. Cancer screenings decreased because people were afraid to be exposed, so they didn’t come to hospitals or emergency rooms when they had other serious issues.”
He said he is concerned that over the next few months, doctors will see more advanced cases of cancer, for example, or cases of cancer that could have been discovered and treated early.
“That’s one of the things we’ve really got to figure out,” he said. “We’ve also got to have the capacity to shift care quickly to COVID-19 cases, if we have another (surge). We’ll keep 20 percent of our beds available for COVID-19.”
Hreib said everyone should be diligent and protect themselves as best they can. It will be a stressful fall and winter for not only residents, but health-care providers, who are prepared with personal protective equipment and are all required to get the flu shot.
“Precautions will go a long way this year,” he said. “Because we won’t have a COVID-19 vaccine this year, we need to protect ourselves with a flu vaccine.”
Hreib said the flu vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent someone from getting the flu, but will in most cases decrease the extent of its effects and decrease the number of people who are hospitalized, end up in the intensive care unit (ICU) or die.
“I know there’s a lot of doom and gloom this year — the flu and COVID-19 could be a really bad combo, especially for people who are vulnerable with significant medical complications,” he said. “That’s why adults and children must be vaccinated for the flu. Otherwise, you’re going to risk spreading to others who might be compromised. We need to keep the spread down.”
And, he added, COVID-19 is highly contagious. One person can infect three, and those people each infect three. Before you know it, hundreds or thousands of people could be infected.
Flu vaccines are just starting to be administered as flu season begins in mid-to-late September and ends in mid-to-late spring. Hreib advises getting a flu shot now because it takes a few weeks to “kick in” to provide immunity from the neutralized antibodies, which need to be generated in sufficient quantities.
Hreib said people should understand that COVID-19 is a “real” and serious virus. He believes people have received mixed messages from the country’s leadership and they are confused. He said people need to pay attention to science, and understand that the United States has only 4 percent of the world’s population, but 20 percent of all COVID-19 deaths.
If someone plans to get flu, shingles and pneumonia shots this year, Hreib advises getting them at different times, so that if there is a reaction, doctors will know which shot caused it.
“Give each shot a chance for reaction before you get the next,” he said.
Pharmacies, including CVS in Greenfield (413-774-7201), Walgreens in Greenfield (413-773-3801), and Rite Aid in Greenfield (413-774-2201) and Turners Falls (413-863-3107), are providing flu shots this year. In Athol, so are CVS (978-249-7928) and Walgreens (978-249-9132).
The Athol Council on Aging and Walgreens are sponsoring a flu clinic on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Council on Aging, 83 Freedom St. Registration is required by calling 978-249-8986.
Additionally, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) is providing flu clinics throughout the county between now and Nov. 8. A list is available at frcog.org/flu-clinic.
Bring your insurance card. The fees for those without insurance are $20 for adults and $10 for children.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.