Twindemic
Twindemic was a term referring to the possibility of a severe flu season happening alongside an increase in cases of COVID-19 during the fall and winter of 2020.[1][2][3]
The term was popularized by an August 2020 article from The New York Times written by Jan Hoffman.[1][2][3] In the article, Hoffman credited Dr. L.J. Tan of the Immunization Action Coalition as an "early promoter" of the possibility of a twindemic.[3] After the publication of The Times' article, several media outlets began to report on the possibility of a twindemic.[3] Health experts responded to the threat of a possible twindemic by encouraging more people to get the flu vaccine.[1][2]
A twindemic did not occur during the flu season in late 2020 due to cases of the seasonal flu being at historic lows in the United States and globally.[4] These low amount of flu cases were attributed to measures put in place to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, including face masks, social distancing, and hand washing.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Hoffman, Jan (2020-08-16). "Fearing a 'Twindemic,' Health Experts Push Urgently for Flu Shots". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c Miller, Korin (2020-08-18). "Experts Warn of a Possible 'Twindemic'—Here's What That Means". Health.com. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d "twindemic". Dictionary.com. 2020. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Sepkowitz, Kent (2021-02-07). "Opinion: The mystery of the flu-Covid 'twindemic' that never happened". CNN. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)