Union Hospital prepares for flu season amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Union Hospital prepares for flu season amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Flu season is fast approaching as the fall and winter months inch closer.

This presents a challenge to local hospital amid the ongoing pandemic.

News 10's dominic miranda spoke to the medical director of union medical group.

He explains how you can help the hospital this flu season.

[take pkg outcue: soc duration:1:35] pk} union medical group's medical director jackie holder told me... the upcoming flu season combined with covid-19 has been a big topic of conversation around the hospital.

They are so similar...and the hospital is doing everything they can to prepare.

Holder told me what you at home can do to help them.

[take vo] [notes:] at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic...holder says the hospital actually saw both illnesses at the same time.

In march...it was the tail end of flu season...and covid-19 was just starting to show its face.

She said the hospital estimated that 1 in 5 people with covid also actually had the flu.

Union hospital will check for both...and while they have very similar symptoms...their treatments are much different.

Holder told me their primary offices are really emphasizing getting the flu vaccine this year.

She says it's more essential to get it this year than ever before...and evidence shows you can decrease i-c-u admission just by being vaccinated.

[take sot] so} "that's a big deal when those 2 viruses compete for the same resources whether that be a doctor's visit or a hospitalization or an i-c-u bed or a ventilator.

They are all competing for the same resources that we know just by watching nationally that some health systems have come up against having those resources stretched."

Do} holder says the community efforts to slow the coronavirus will be helpful in decreaseing influenza cases as well.

She says the hospital is always looking to be better prepared and make patients feel safe... but it's truly a community effort.

In terre haute.

I'm dominic miranda.

News 10