A consultant at University Hospital Limerick is hopeful that efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 will have a positive impact on the number of flu cases this winter.
The annual Flu Vaccine has started to be rolled out across the country in recent days.
ICU Consultant Dr Catherine Motherway says if people adhere to the social distancing guidelines in relation to coronavirus it will have a knock on effect flu.
“Every flu season we do an enhanced surveillance for flu in the ICU’s in Ireland which we’ve been doing also for Covid and we’ve yet to receive any confirmation that flu admissions have begun.”
“And we are hoping that if the physical distancing which is used to try and prevent Covid is implemented across the country it will help also prevent flu and diminish its significance in the winter. That seems to have happened in the southern hemisphere so it would be helpful if it happened here.”
