{"id":14645,"date":"2020-10-16T14:34:53","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T14:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/?p=14645"},"modified":"2022-12-02T18:32:41","modified_gmt":"2022-12-02T18:32:41","slug":"sars-cov-2-and-influenza-the-challenge-of-flu-season-with-dr-manoj-gandhi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/sars-cov-2-and-influenza-the-challenge-of-flu-season-with-dr-manoj-gandhi\/","title":{"rendered":"SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza: The Challenge of Flu Season with Dr. Manoj Gandhi"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

Flu season is imminent in the northern hemisphere. In the past, the period has been challenging on its own but now the challenge has intensified. Flu season arrives while COVID-19, the novel virus that taxed medical systems around the world, is established as a permanent threat to the population of the entire planet. What can we expect from the combined impact of these two viruses as they collide in our public spaces and our hospitals? Dr. Manoj Gandhi, the Senior Medical Director of Thermo Fisher Scientific\u2019s Genetic Testing Solutions business unit, has some thoughts.<\/p>\n

What do we already know about influenza?<\/h2>\n

Influenza is a group of related viruses that, in the northern hemisphere, have cyclical peaks and troughs of infection that coincide with the seasons. The autumn\/winter flu season will be touching down in many countries where there are still high incidences of SARS-CoV-2 infections. As a virus that has only recently begun to infect humans, SARS-CoV-2 does not show any seasonal patterns and seems likely to continue maintaining high infection rates as flu cases increase. This combination poses a special challenge for medical systems.<\/p>\n

Regarding influenza, Dr. Gandhi says, \u201cInfluenza was first described about 100 years ago, but has been around for centuries. We are now armed with vaccines for influenza as well as treatments like Tamiflu that, when provided within the first two days following presentation of influenza symptoms, can be very effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, influenza remains a serious pathogen, especially because its high mutation rate means that acquired immunity does not offer enduring protection against the whole class of influenza viruses. In addition, new subtypes can be more virulent and potentially lead to higher mortality rates than their predecessors.<\/p>\n

The seasonal emergence of new flu subtypes and waves of infections and hospitalizations will coincide with the ongoing high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in many countries. This coincidence of timing presents two major challenges to medical systems: patient load and disambiguation.<\/p>\n

Patient management for influenza and SARS-CoV-2<\/h2>\n

Hospital systems in the United States, Canada and other countries historically have time to prepare for flu season, stocking up on relevant resources in anticipation of influenza patients. They could reasonably expect and plan for the surge of patients and then the return to baseline conditions afterward. That increase in capacity is, for many medical institutions, not nearly as available as it was in previous years. Many systems have been stretched to and beyond their limits responding to ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infections, with no extra capacity available to prepare for the upcoming arrival of influenza cases. For hospitals struggling to care for an already elevated number of respiratory patients and scrambling for enough resources to keep illnesses from spreading in their halls, a second, unrelated wave of infections is a frightful prospect.<\/p>\n

However, the ongoing hazard of the coronavirus crisis had a surprising effect with regard to influenza. Throughout 2020, the widespread use of social distancing, masks and other protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 significantly reduced the transmission of influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infections?<\/h2>\n

Dr. Gandhi explains the challenge of distinguishing these two conditions in a therapeutic context: \u201cThe problem is that they present with very similar symptoms, such as fever, cough, body aches, runny nose. There are some subtle differences such as loss of taste or smell and shortness of breath that may be seen in COVID patients. However, [these] may not be seen in all patients, and, for the most part, the symptoms between COVID and flu are strikingly similar. So, the issue becomes how can the physician distinguish one versus the other? And the answer is that one needs to perform a test.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given that many of the therapeutic approaches for the two conditions, including the use of ventilators, are based on the symptoms that they share, that test might seem superfluous. Treatment specific to symptoms, by and large, does not have to be especially concerned with what is causing the symptoms, only that it can alleviate them. However, not all treatments for these two conditions are limited to their symptoms; drugs and protocols exist that target the infections directly. These do <\/em>have to be distinguished by condition because their effects may make them useless or dangerous to one set of patients and lifesaving for the other. Mistaking one for the other is risky to patients and must be avoided.<\/p>\n

In particular, one of SARS-CoV-2\u2019s trademarks is that it can induce a cytokine storm due to overstimulation of the immune system, which is rare in influenza patients. The drugs used to treat cytokine storms are immunosuppressants that are contraindicated for influenza, reducing the patient\u2019s ability to fight the virus instead of protecting them from its effects. Similarly, a variety of antiviral drugs are approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 that have not been tested for efficacy or safety against influenza (remdesivir), and vice versa (oseltamivir, zanamivir, peramivir, baloxavir).<\/p>\n

Additionally, quarantining procedures for the two viruses are different, with those procedures being much more stringent for those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Being able to accurately reserve the strictest quarantine measures for COVID-19 patients means fewer resources will be needed overall, enabling the system to continue functioning despite higher than normal patient loads.<\/p>\n

These aspects of treatment for the two viruses make co-infection, being infected with the two viruses simultaneously, a serious complication that will require specialized procedures to combat.<\/p>\n

What if someone has both infections?<\/h2>\n

Statistically, based on what we know at this moment, the chance of a patient being infected with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza at the same time is low. It is much more likely for a person to have had one, recovered, and then present at a hospital with the other, and for this fact to complicate their blood tests. This scenario presents many of the same challenges as distinguishing between the two infections, due to differing treatment regimens.<\/p>\n

What about the flu vaccine?<\/h2>\n

The fact that flu vaccines exist and can be optimized each year for the strains predicted to be abundant that year is a crucial defense against the flu. Flu vaccines provide protection against the worst of influenza\u2019s impacts and limit this virus\u2019s spread through a population. Even when influenza vaccines do not provide complete protection against an infection (their effectiveness each year varies from ~40\u201360%), they generally reduce disease severity, helping keep infected people out of the hospital. When the resources available to treat people with serious influenza cases are unusually scarce, maintaining high vaccination levels is critical. High vaccination rates against influenza will also reduce the need to distinguish between influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections and will especially reduce the chances of patients who present with both simultaneously.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, influenza vaccines are not effective against SARS-CoV-2 directly. As Dr. Gandhi notes, \u201cThe influenza virus belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family, whereas SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the Coronavirus family, and there are differences between the structure of the two viruses such that each requires its own specific vaccine.\u201d Now that several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), those could be administered in the same injection as future flu vaccines, reducing the number of injections needed to protect the population against both diseases.<\/p>\n

What is the role of Thermo Fisher Scientific and other test makers in all of this?<\/h2>\n

Dr. Gandhi explains that \u201cit is up to companies like Thermo Fisher Scientific to make the tests to serve the needs of the physicians, and more importantly, the patients.\u201d Thermo Fisher Scientific\u2019s TaqPath COVID-19 test<\/a> received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in 2020, as well as CE marking in Europe, and is already in widespread use throughout the world.<\/p>\n

With the flu season already upon us, Thermo Fisher Scientific developed multiplex PCR tests that will simultaneously detect RNA from multiple respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B, and more<\/a>. Combining targets for each of these viruses into a single test makes distinguishing these infections much easier and can help physicians choose the appropriate treatments and protocols for their patients, ultimately saving lives. Dr. Gandhi concludes: \u201cWe\u2019ve placed a lot of effort and emphasis here at Thermo Fisher Scientific on helping our customers respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we\u2019re proud to be able to continue to help our them meet the demands of respiratory virus testing as we move into flu season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about our respiratory testing portfolio at thermofisher.com\/respiratory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Would you like to be contacted by one of our representatives? Request more information here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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Molecular testing helps laboratories rapidly identify Cyclospora cayetanensis alongside other gastrointestinal pathogens from a single specimen. 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Her research centers on downy mildew of grape (Plasmopara viticola) and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Animal Health and AgriGenomics"","block_context":{"text":"Animal Health and AgriGenomics","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/animal-health-and-agrigenomics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Portrait of a smiling plant pathology researcher standing outdoors beside grapevine leaves.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/02\/Heger-headshot-1_Jordan-Ruggieri-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19585,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/advanced-verification-in-pharmaceutical-manufacturing-using-raman-spectroscopy\/","url_meta":{"origin":14645,"position":5},"title":"Advanced Verification in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Using Raman Spectroscopy","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"April 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Article Summary Pharmaceutical manufacturing relies on strict quality control to ensure that every product released to the market is safe, effective, and compliant with regulatory standards. 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