Researchers Suggest Flu Shot Helps With Covid Symptoms

DISCLAIMER: The Tatum Report does not offer any type of medical advice. Individuals are encouraged to gather information, listen to professionals, talk to their own Drs. and make their own medical decisions.

According to a medical journal report from Plos One, people who received a flu shot in 2019-2020 were less likely to suffer from Covid-19 symptoms bad enough to require hospitalization.

Plos One’s research was published on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. They looked into over 74,000 Covid positive cases from Singapore, Israel, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States. According to researchers, “People who had previously received the influenza vaccine during the previous six months were “less likely to have had health complications related to their COVID-19 infection.”

They found that people who did not have the flu shot were 20% more likely to be admitted to the ICU, 58% more likely to need ER services. They also found that 58% were more likely to suffer a stroke, 45% more likely to develop sepsis, and 40% more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

There had been previous other studies linking Covid-19 and the flu shot. These findings corroborated the studies that getting a flu shot can lead to better Covid-19 outcomes. The research also showed that the flu shot didn’t provide any protection from death from Covid-19. “Importantly, the flu shot’s link to better COVID-19 outcomes doesn’t necessarily mean it’s protective against the novel coronavirus. While it’s possible that the flu shot boosts immunity, it’s also possible that people who opt to get the flu shot tend to be healthier overall than people who skip it, meaning they’re already at lower risk for COVID-19 complications.

Many doctors are starting to recommend getting the flu shot to patients. Marion Hoffman Bowman, M.D. says, “It’s particularly relevant for vaccine hesitance, and maybe taking the flu shot this year can ease some angst about the new COVID-19 vaccine.” Hoffman is an associate professor of internal medicine and a cardiologist at the Michigan Medicine Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

Michigan Medicine researched 27,000 Covid positive cases between March and July 2020. They found that from 13,000 people who received the flu shot, only 4% tested positive for Covid-19. Compare that to the 14,000 who did not receive the flu shot, and 5% tested positive for Covid-19. Interestingly, no one in the study tested positive for both flu and Covid-19.

Since the flu and flu shots change annually, whether the new shot will have the same effects is unknown.

 

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