What to know about 2020 Flu Season

Are you experiencing a cough, runny nose, loss of smell or taste?

Could it be the flu or COVID-19?

- are you experiencing a cough, - runny nose, loss of - smell or taste?

- could it be the flu or covid-19- news 25's ashleigh fortenberry- spoke with- medical professionals about wha- you need to know- before flu season arrives.- - flu season is expected to - spike in november and medical - experts say it could be - unlike any other, because of- covid-19.

- anne musgrove, certified family- nurse practioner- "it's going to be an interestin flu season.

That's the though - among most of us.

- we just really don't know what- to expect.

Like i said before i- think masking and - hand sanitizing and the social- distancing that we have adapted- as a society might- help keep the spread of flu a - little bit lower.

We might- - - - actually see a record low flu - season.

Clinically though it- will be hard to ditinguish- bewteen flu and covid."

Anne musgrove, a certified- family nurse practioner at- memorial hospital, says the flu- and covid-19 share- many of the same syptoms. - - - - "the two can present very similarly which is very tricky- for healthcare providers.

- one of the hallmarks of covid-1- is loss of smell or taste.

We - see that in a lot of our- - - - patients who present with covid- if you lose your smell or taste- there is a high index of- suspicion that it is a covid- case.

We've had patients who- - - - said they felt they had a sinus- infection.

It can present in- various way so the only way to- really know is to get - - - - tested."

The cdc estimates the flu was - associated with more than - 35 million illnesses and 34,200- deaths during the 2018- - 2019 flu season.- ashleigh fortenberry, wxxv25- - - - "while the flu vaccine will not keep you from getting covid-19,- medical professionals - say it will decrease your risk- - - - of co- infection.

"we know that people can be co-infected.

In - the early days, we hoped we - would not - see a lot of co-infection.

We - don't really know because its - not flu season yet- how common it will be, but we - have seen reports coming out of- other countries that- people have been co-infected- with both influenza and covid.- we're really- encouraging people to get their- flu shot this year."

In gulfport ashleigh fortenberr- news 25 - - -