SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – As the season heads into fall, the weather is getting colder, at least it is in other parts of the country if not so much in the Bay Area.
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This could spell another COVID-19 surge, as cases continue to rise once again in Europe.
"The weather is one thing we're all watching and we know that other respiratory viruses go up during the winter and this may happen with COVID-19," said Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health on KCBS Radio's "Ask an Expert" with Eric Thomas and Margie Shafer on Friday.
"But it's also I think worth looking back at the past and recognizing that Europe had a very substantial surge of cases back in July," he said. "When we here in the states have been more consistent over the past many months."
Essentially, even if there is likely going to be a new surge in Europe soon, that doesn't mean that it will wind up happening in the United States as well.
This could be caused by a variety of factors, including different levels of overall immunity in each country.
"In some places you still see waves coming and going," said Dowdy. "Whereas in other places like here in the states, it seems to be more of a constant steady hum."
While that doesn't necessarily apply to immunity against serious disease, it seems like it's more related to the number of infections that happen overall.
At this stage in the pandemic, COVID-19 and the flu are roughly on par with one another with how likely they are to cause serious enough illness to lead to death, said Dowdy, although more on a case-by-case basis.
"We're still seeing the number of COVID-19 deaths every day here in the United States on the order of 300 to 350 a day," he said. "Which is similar to the number of flu deaths in the middle of a moderate to severe flu season."
Although this year's flu season might be a bit rougher, the preparations are still the same as they would be any other year.
People should still avoid large, indoor crowded gatherings and maintain some distance. Masks are still helpful for those who want to protect themselves even further.
People should wash their hands and if they do get sick – stay home.
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