Selected Podcast
Facts about Flu Season and COVID-19
As we do our best to prevent catching Covid-19, we face another death threat...flu season. Some health officials are calling it a potential twindemic, concerned that even a mild flu season could overload hospitals already coping with Covid-19 cases. Think you know the faces about the flu? Take our pop quick on this edition of Here for Your Health.
Featuring:
She is a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice, a member of the Palm Beach County Medical Society and the National Association of County and City Health Officers, a commissioner on the Health Care District Board and member of numerous other organizations. Her favorite pastime is snorkeling and scuba diving off the Florida Keys and the Bahamas Islands with her sons Gabriel and Alex.
Alina Alonso, MD
Dr. Alina Alonso, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, has been serving the medically underserved since 1989. Dr. Alonso oversees the operations of one of the largest county health departments in the state. Its 720 plus employees provide a full range of primary and preventive services to seven health centers located throughout Palm Beach County. Its numerous other Public Health services include Epidemiology, Communicable Disease Control, Environmental Public Health, Nutrition, Emergency Preparedness, School Health and Community Health and the Public Health/Preventive Medicine Residency, making it a nationally recognized academic organization in a class by itself. Dr. Alonso graduated from Barry University in 1978 with a Major in Biology, a double Minor in Chemistry and Mathematics and a BS degree. She pursued her medical career as a 1984 graduate of the foreign medical school, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. In New York, she served as Chief Resident in the three-year Family Practice Residency Program at St. Joseph Medical Center from 1985 to 1988. After returning home, she finished a second residency in Public Health and Preventive Medicine in 1992 at the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County. Since 1976 she has extensive experience managing communicable and emergent diseases from A – Z (Anthrax – Zika). She has a passion for a healthy community with equity for every resident and visitor.She is a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice, a member of the Palm Beach County Medical Society and the National Association of County and City Health Officers, a commissioner on the Health Care District Board and member of numerous other organizations. Her favorite pastime is snorkeling and scuba diving off the Florida Keys and the Bahamas Islands with her sons Gabriel and Alex.
Transcription:
Robin Kish: As we do our best to prevent catching COVID-19, we face another deadly threat, flu season. Some health officials are calling it a potential twindemic, concern that even a mild flu season could overload hospitals already coping with COVID-19 cases. Think you know the facts about the flu? Take our pop quiz on this edition of Here For Your Health.
Welcome to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County's podcast, Here For Your Health. I'm your host, Robin Kish. On this edition of Here For Your Health, we test you on your knowledge about the flu at a time when flu season is colliding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guest today is Dr. Alina Alonso, Director of the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County, Florida. Welcome, Dr. Alonso.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Oh, it's my pleasure. I'm so glad that you brought me.
Robin Kish: So please help us understand the facts about the flu. Let's run through nine multiple choice questions to understand more about this virus. Are you ready?
Dr. Alina Alonso: I'm ready. Let's go.
Robin Kish: Okay. Here it goes. Number one, which are not common symptoms of the flu? A, a high fever, dry cough, and sore throat; B, achy muscles, body aches, and fatigue; C, in children, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea; or D, itchy rash.
Dr. Alina Alonso: You're making this way too easy for them. There is no itchy rash in the flu symptoms at all. As you noticed, these symptoms are exactly the same for COVID. So we have to be very careful, which is why getting the flu shot is going to be so important.
Robin Kish: Okay. Let's move on to number two. What should I not do if I get sick? A, stay home, get rest, and avoid contact with others; B, if you're in a high risk group, see your doctor; C, if you suspect you have the flu, get treatment as soon as possible; or D, go straight to the emergency room.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, this is a little tricky question because all those things are true, except D. We do not want people going to the hospital for just the flu or suspicion of the flu, because it overwhelms the emergency room.
So most people that have the flu have a mild illness and do not need to be hospitalized. So what you should do is contact your doctor and see if you need to be tested to see if you have the flu and need any antiviral drugs. There are tests specifically for influenza A and for influenza B. So if you get sick with a flu symptom, in most cases, you should stay home, avoid contact with others and expect to get medical care through your provider. If you do not have a provider, we have multiple federally qualified health centers here in Palm Beach County where you can go for care.
Robin Kish: Excellent. So let's go on to number three, which is not an emergency warning sign of the flu? A, fast breathing or difficulty breathing; B, a fever above a 104 degrees; C, persistent pain or pressure in the chest; or D, feeling kind of achy, slowly feeling worse over a few days.
Dr. Alina Alonso: This is an important differentiator between the flu and just a regular cold. The flu symptoms happen abruptly and cold symptoms are more gradual. So you can be perfectly well in the morning, go to work and, by noon, you start feeling a little achy. All of a sudden, you spike a temperature and by nighttime, you're feeling horrible. So that is a typical scenario for the flu, which is not true for cold.
Robin Kish: So answers A, B and C are emergency warning signs of the flu. Fast or difficulty breathing, a fever above a 104 degrees, persistent pain or pressure in the chest. D, feeling achy and slowly, feeling worse over a few days is not, and is consistent with having a cold,
Dr. Alina Alonso: Usually a cold takes about five to six days before you start feeling really bad.
Robin Kish: So number four, what can you do to prepare for this coming flu season? A, keep doing what you're doing, wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain social distance; B, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and stay home; C, social distance, wash hands, wear a mask and get the flu vaccine; or D, hold off getting a flu vaccination.
Dr. Alina Alonso: So the correct answer is C. You want to practice social distancing, practice good hand hygiene, wear your mask at all times and get the flu vaccine this year. If you've never gotten it before, this is a year to definitely go get your flu vaccine.
Robin Kish: I've gotten mine. I don't know if you've got yours.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Me too. Absolutely. Yeah. Some of it came out.
Robin Kish: Yeah, it's definitely worthwhile. And it does last for a longer period of time, right? Not just short term. Okay. So let's move on to number five. Which is not true about the safety of flu vaccines? We hear about this a lot. A, hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the decades; B, you can catch the flu from the vaccine; C, the CDC and FDA closely monitor vaccine safety; or D, everyone six months of age or older needs a flu vaccine.
Dr. Alina Alonso: All those answers are true except getting the flu from the vaccine. As a matter of fact, the flu shot is made from an inactivated virus that cannot transmit the infection to the person. So people who do get sick after receiving a flu might just be a simple cold or that they were going to get the flu because it takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. So if within that two week period of you getting the flu vaccine, you come across the flu, you could still get it.
Robin Kish: All right. Here's number six. What are the benefits of getting the flu vaccine? A, the flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses every year; B, flu vaccine reduces the risk of having to go to a doctor even if you get the flu; C, flu vaccine reduces the hospitalization risk to children and older adults and pregnant women; or D, all of the above.
Dr. Alina Alonso: All of the above is the correct answer. Absolutely.
Robin Kish: Number seven, moving on. How does COVID-19 differ from the cold or flu? A, headaches are rare with the flu, but common with a cold; B, colds come very suddenly and flu symptoms build slowly; or C, colds don't usually come with high fevers.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, if you were listening to the previous question, you know the correct answer is C, the flu usually comes with a high fever that can last for three to four days. And the other two answers are really the opposite. Headaches are common with the flu and rare with a cold and flu symptoms typically come on abruptly, while cold symptoms develop more gradually.
Robin Kish: Interesting that virus has like the flu and COVID-19 share symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, runny or stuffy nose and difficulty breathing. Symptoms unique to COVID are loss or diminished sense of smell and taste. So number eight, when looking at a possible twindemic, which of these do not apply? A, with more patients, hospitals could become overwhelmed; B, flu cases added to COVID-19 or if you've already had COVID-19, would cause concern; C, there's really nothing you can do about this; or D, if enough people get vaccinated, the health system should be able to cope.
Dr. Alina Alonso: The correct answer is C, because there is something that you can do about this, which brings us to the last question.
Robin Kish: Number nine, when should I get a flu vaccine? A, next year; B, I don't need one; or C, right now.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, obviously, we're doing this because definitely you need one right now. Don't wait. Like I said, it takes about two weeks to actually build up the antibodies in your system to fight the flu. And we want to protect the hospital system from not being overwhelmed. And of course, we want to protect you and we want to protect everybody around you and your family, especially the elderly and young children. The flu affects them much more. And pregnant women should get the flu shot also. So make a note of that and make sure that that is something that you will ask your OB-GYN doctor for.
Robin Kish: Thank you, Dr. Alonso, for sharing your expertise and insight about the flu and the flu vaccine. If you or your family needs a free or reduced cost flu shot, you can call the Health Care District CL Brumback Primary Care Clinics at (561) 642-1000 and schedule an appointment at the clinic closest to you or at any of the community health centers throughout Palm Beach County.
If you find this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channel and check out our full podcast library for topics of interest to you at healthcaredistrictpodcast.org. Let us know what you think. Your review helps us reach more people just like you. And if you have a suggestion about a future podcast, topic, have questions or some feedback, call (561) 804-4111.
Today's podcast is brought to you by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. The Health Care District is a unique safety net healthcare system located in South Florida and provides County residents access to primary care, skilled nursing and hospital care, registered nurses in nearly all of the counties, public schools and oversight of the county's trauma system, which includes operating two life-saving Trauma Hawk air ambulances. Learn more by visiting HCDPBC.org.
Robin Kish: As we do our best to prevent catching COVID-19, we face another deadly threat, flu season. Some health officials are calling it a potential twindemic, concern that even a mild flu season could overload hospitals already coping with COVID-19 cases. Think you know the facts about the flu? Take our pop quiz on this edition of Here For Your Health.
Welcome to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County's podcast, Here For Your Health. I'm your host, Robin Kish. On this edition of Here For Your Health, we test you on your knowledge about the flu at a time when flu season is colliding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guest today is Dr. Alina Alonso, Director of the Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County, Florida. Welcome, Dr. Alonso.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Oh, it's my pleasure. I'm so glad that you brought me.
Robin Kish: So please help us understand the facts about the flu. Let's run through nine multiple choice questions to understand more about this virus. Are you ready?
Dr. Alina Alonso: I'm ready. Let's go.
Robin Kish: Okay. Here it goes. Number one, which are not common symptoms of the flu? A, a high fever, dry cough, and sore throat; B, achy muscles, body aches, and fatigue; C, in children, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea; or D, itchy rash.
Dr. Alina Alonso: You're making this way too easy for them. There is no itchy rash in the flu symptoms at all. As you noticed, these symptoms are exactly the same for COVID. So we have to be very careful, which is why getting the flu shot is going to be so important.
Robin Kish: Okay. Let's move on to number two. What should I not do if I get sick? A, stay home, get rest, and avoid contact with others; B, if you're in a high risk group, see your doctor; C, if you suspect you have the flu, get treatment as soon as possible; or D, go straight to the emergency room.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, this is a little tricky question because all those things are true, except D. We do not want people going to the hospital for just the flu or suspicion of the flu, because it overwhelms the emergency room.
So most people that have the flu have a mild illness and do not need to be hospitalized. So what you should do is contact your doctor and see if you need to be tested to see if you have the flu and need any antiviral drugs. There are tests specifically for influenza A and for influenza B. So if you get sick with a flu symptom, in most cases, you should stay home, avoid contact with others and expect to get medical care through your provider. If you do not have a provider, we have multiple federally qualified health centers here in Palm Beach County where you can go for care.
Robin Kish: Excellent. So let's go on to number three, which is not an emergency warning sign of the flu? A, fast breathing or difficulty breathing; B, a fever above a 104 degrees; C, persistent pain or pressure in the chest; or D, feeling kind of achy, slowly feeling worse over a few days.
Dr. Alina Alonso: This is an important differentiator between the flu and just a regular cold. The flu symptoms happen abruptly and cold symptoms are more gradual. So you can be perfectly well in the morning, go to work and, by noon, you start feeling a little achy. All of a sudden, you spike a temperature and by nighttime, you're feeling horrible. So that is a typical scenario for the flu, which is not true for cold.
Robin Kish: So answers A, B and C are emergency warning signs of the flu. Fast or difficulty breathing, a fever above a 104 degrees, persistent pain or pressure in the chest. D, feeling achy and slowly, feeling worse over a few days is not, and is consistent with having a cold,
Dr. Alina Alonso: Usually a cold takes about five to six days before you start feeling really bad.
Robin Kish: So number four, what can you do to prepare for this coming flu season? A, keep doing what you're doing, wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain social distance; B, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and stay home; C, social distance, wash hands, wear a mask and get the flu vaccine; or D, hold off getting a flu vaccination.
Dr. Alina Alonso: So the correct answer is C. You want to practice social distancing, practice good hand hygiene, wear your mask at all times and get the flu vaccine this year. If you've never gotten it before, this is a year to definitely go get your flu vaccine.
Robin Kish: I've gotten mine. I don't know if you've got yours.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Me too. Absolutely. Yeah. Some of it came out.
Robin Kish: Yeah, it's definitely worthwhile. And it does last for a longer period of time, right? Not just short term. Okay. So let's move on to number five. Which is not true about the safety of flu vaccines? We hear about this a lot. A, hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the decades; B, you can catch the flu from the vaccine; C, the CDC and FDA closely monitor vaccine safety; or D, everyone six months of age or older needs a flu vaccine.
Dr. Alina Alonso: All those answers are true except getting the flu from the vaccine. As a matter of fact, the flu shot is made from an inactivated virus that cannot transmit the infection to the person. So people who do get sick after receiving a flu might just be a simple cold or that they were going to get the flu because it takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. So if within that two week period of you getting the flu vaccine, you come across the flu, you could still get it.
Robin Kish: All right. Here's number six. What are the benefits of getting the flu vaccine? A, the flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses every year; B, flu vaccine reduces the risk of having to go to a doctor even if you get the flu; C, flu vaccine reduces the hospitalization risk to children and older adults and pregnant women; or D, all of the above.
Dr. Alina Alonso: All of the above is the correct answer. Absolutely.
Robin Kish: Number seven, moving on. How does COVID-19 differ from the cold or flu? A, headaches are rare with the flu, but common with a cold; B, colds come very suddenly and flu symptoms build slowly; or C, colds don't usually come with high fevers.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, if you were listening to the previous question, you know the correct answer is C, the flu usually comes with a high fever that can last for three to four days. And the other two answers are really the opposite. Headaches are common with the flu and rare with a cold and flu symptoms typically come on abruptly, while cold symptoms develop more gradually.
Robin Kish: Interesting that virus has like the flu and COVID-19 share symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, runny or stuffy nose and difficulty breathing. Symptoms unique to COVID are loss or diminished sense of smell and taste. So number eight, when looking at a possible twindemic, which of these do not apply? A, with more patients, hospitals could become overwhelmed; B, flu cases added to COVID-19 or if you've already had COVID-19, would cause concern; C, there's really nothing you can do about this; or D, if enough people get vaccinated, the health system should be able to cope.
Dr. Alina Alonso: The correct answer is C, because there is something that you can do about this, which brings us to the last question.
Robin Kish: Number nine, when should I get a flu vaccine? A, next year; B, I don't need one; or C, right now.
Dr. Alina Alonso: Well, obviously, we're doing this because definitely you need one right now. Don't wait. Like I said, it takes about two weeks to actually build up the antibodies in your system to fight the flu. And we want to protect the hospital system from not being overwhelmed. And of course, we want to protect you and we want to protect everybody around you and your family, especially the elderly and young children. The flu affects them much more. And pregnant women should get the flu shot also. So make a note of that and make sure that that is something that you will ask your OB-GYN doctor for.
Robin Kish: Thank you, Dr. Alonso, for sharing your expertise and insight about the flu and the flu vaccine. If you or your family needs a free or reduced cost flu shot, you can call the Health Care District CL Brumback Primary Care Clinics at (561) 642-1000 and schedule an appointment at the clinic closest to you or at any of the community health centers throughout Palm Beach County.
If you find this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channel and check out our full podcast library for topics of interest to you at healthcaredistrictpodcast.org. Let us know what you think. Your review helps us reach more people just like you. And if you have a suggestion about a future podcast, topic, have questions or some feedback, call (561) 804-4111.
Today's podcast is brought to you by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. The Health Care District is a unique safety net healthcare system located in South Florida and provides County residents access to primary care, skilled nursing and hospital care, registered nurses in nearly all of the counties, public schools and oversight of the county's trauma system, which includes operating two life-saving Trauma Hawk air ambulances. Learn more by visiting HCDPBC.org.