'The last thing we need': Doctor concerned of potentially bad flu season
Watch the video above for more on this story
Last winter, COVID-19 took over hospitals all around the country, but when it came to the flu it was a different story.
"Last year the flu season was non-existent. So we saw very very few cases of influenza," Dr. Mark Rupp said.
Rupp, of Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, says there could be multiple reasons for this, like the fact that a lot of us were taking more precautions to fight COVID-19.
"But, you know, clearly with one virus sort of out-competing all the other viruses that may have also crowded influenza just kind of out of the picture," Rupp said.
When it comes to how bad it will get this year, he says it's anybody's guess.
"I think the big question is what's going to happen this year ... we really don't know again," Rupp said.
What he does know is that if things get bad, many hospitals won't be able to handle it because most are already full and dealing with staffing shortages.
"Now we're already being stressed with COVID-19, the last thing we need is another respiratory virus to come in and make people sick and bring them into the hospital," Rupp said.
Now he wants everyone to do their part before it is too late, so he's urging people to get the flu vaccine and wear those masks and wash their hands, and hopefully, things will be OK.
"So, you know, every additional stressor that we have, obviously, weakens the hospital system, the health care system. It's the last thing we need right now," Rupp said.
[related id='24548c83-34c5-421a-a6f8-1e3cc87b56e2' align='center'][/related]