October typically marks the beginning of the flu season and it's coming with new warnings of a possible "twindemic" of COVID-19 and influenza.
The United States and much of the world got a welcome break from the flu last year with fewer cases than any time in recent history. The coronavirus was spreading fast but pandemic mitigation measures like masking, social distancing and people going to school and working remotely left few opportunities for the flu virus to spread. The U.S. may not likely be so lucky this year. According to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences projections, there could be up to 20% more flu cases than a normal year, with the potential to see nearly twice the typical caseload. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate average annual flu cases are between 9 million and 45 million cases with 12,000 to 52,000 deaths.