COVID-19 comes with a suite of symptoms that are all too familiar to those who spent 2020 obsessively washing their hands and visualizing a 2-meter or 6-foot gap. Some symptoms, like a continuous cough and fever, were thankfully short-lived for most people. However, others such as anosmia, brain fog, and chronic fatigue persisted for months and even years.
Long COVID is a prime example of how the illnesses we contract can have lasting effects. But COVID-19 is not alone in this regard. Even the common cold (rhinovirus) can lead to complications that affect our ear, sinus, and heart health. According to the World Health Organization, the flu not only poses the risk of pneumonia, sepsis, and death, but can also worsen other chronic diseases.
New Zealand’s response to the pandemic was hailed as one of the most effective in the world. However, it wasn’t until 2022 that the true impact of the disease became apparent in the country’s mortality records. As COVID-19 continues to pose a significant health threat globally, researchers are now contemplating how we can enhance our preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.
They are advocating for a comprehensive approach to mitigating the impact of contagious respiratory infections by applying the control measures used for COVID-19 to other illnesses.
“As COVID-19 becomes endemic, some argue that it should be treated more like other infectious diseases. We propose the opposite approach of treating other serious respiratory infections such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) more like COVID-19,” explain the authors. “This is the rationale behind exploring an integrated respiratory infection control strategy that leverages the co-benefits and efficiencies of preventing multiple infections, with a strong focus on equity.”
An example of the effectiveness of COVID-19 measures on other respiratory illnesses can be seen in the decline of flu cases during the pandemic. Strategies such as self-isolation for individuals with respiratory infections (e.g., working from home) and ensuring proper ventilation and air filtration in indoor settings could contribute to this decline (as shown in a separate study, preventative measures were found to “unequivocally” stop the spread of COVID-19).
In addition, wearing masks in high-risk environments like hospitals and in situations where optimal ventilation is not possible, such as public transport, could also be beneficial.
By reducing the impact of not only COVID-19 but also other respiratory infections, the authors argue that we can both limit the spread of diseases and improve concentration and productivity for individuals at school and work. While the focus of the paper is on New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, this idea could have merit worldwide, considering the widespread reach of influenza.
Illness is an inevitable part of life, but given that humans are increasingly living in unnatural and often crowded environments, minimizing the risk of disease transmission whenever possible could help prevent future outbreaks. Instead of getting sick with something that’s “just the flu,” perhaps it’s worth trying to avoid getting sick altogether.
