WISCONSIN (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- While we’re still a couple of months away from flu season, it's something doctors are already concerned about, especially since it's coming right in the middle of a global pandemic.

The issue was brought up multiple times this week. During a Milwaukee County COVID-19 briefing, Dr. Kristin Bencik with Bayshore Pediatrics with Children’s Wisconsin says, "'Flu shots are on the horizon. We do not want to know what’s going to happen when flu hits with COVID. We can prevent flu. It’s so important to get flu shots for your kids now. If you’ve never gotten the flu shot, this year is definitely the one to get it."

Because the two can have similar symptoms, Bencik also says it is going to be difficult to differentiate between them.

 

“Flu season on top of a pandemic is gonna result in many more people presenting symptoms that are very similar to each other. The only way to sort through them is through testing to figure out: Do you have the flu, COVID-19 or the common cold?" Andrea Palm, Wisconsin DHS' secretary designee, said.

Both are classified as contagious, respiratory illnesses. However, they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 and while the flu is caused by the influenza virus.

During a briefing with Gov. Tony Evers Thursday afternoon, Palm said, the combination of the two raises concerns about the workload on healthcare systems across the country.

But the fall isn't looking completely gloomy. There is one benefit of the pandemic overlapping with flu season, according to Dr. Patricia Golden who is with Ascension Medical Group.

“I definitely think we will see a reduction of numbers of our influenza if patients continue to really follow those guidelines put forward for COVID," Golden said.

Golden also said that getting a diagnosis may only take one trip to your clinic or doctor. 

"When they're coming in to those respiratory clinics, we’re actually going to be piggybacking the COVID test and the influenza test together. We can run that off the same swab so that patients don’t have to get multiple types of testing.”

 

For more information on how to protect yourself from coronavirus or influenza visit the CDC’s website, here.