A local pharmacist says getting your flu shot is more important than ever this year.
Port Hawkesbury Medicine Shoppe Owner and Pharmacist Michael Hatt says COVID-19 and flu symptoms are similar enough that if you get the flu, you will likely have to be tested for COVID-19.
Hatt tells The Hawk Morning Show the flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and keep from putting extra strain on the healthcare system.
“You have to go to a hospital if you get the flu, typically,” he says. “Hospitals, as much precautions as they’re taking, they need to focus on people that potentially have COVID, so we don’t want to overrun them with people that have the flu.”
Hatt says there is some good news.
He says officials are seeing a fairly light flu season south of the equator, likely because of all the COVID-19 precautions people and governments around the world are taking, and they expect to see the same here.
“That doesn’t mean take it easy, the province has ordered extra, Dr. Strang is encouraging everyone to get the flu shot,” he says. “Because if you get sick, we don’t know if it’s the flu or COVID-19.”
He says that means you will have to be treated as though you have COVID-19 until you test negative.
