Hospitals are stocking up on seasonal flu vaccines, as doctors brace for an influx of patients this winter at the same time as they are dealing with coronavirus.
Both viruses can cause similar symptoms. While the vast majority of people with the flu do not need hospital treatment, the elderly and those with underlying conditions can be more severely affected.
“We have seen co-infections in both viruses, because the immunity is weakened to the point where patients become vulnerable to both at the same time,” said Dr Fadi Baladi, medical director at hospital group Burjeel and an expert in respiratory diseases.
Flu and Covid can exist together, only time will tell how often we will see that
“We need to look how to protect our communities against influenza because this season is going to be hugely challenging with both viruses circulating.
“I expect more people to be aware of the risk of viruses like influenza and a big demand for vaccines compared to previous years because of what’s happened with corona.”
Dr Abhilash Ramachandran Nair, an internal medicine specialist at Aster Hospital, in Dubai’s Al Qusais district, expects most hospitals to have begun crisis planning for an outbreak of influenza.
“Hospitals will be receiving new batches of vaccines in the coming weeks, and people will be advised to get the flu shot once it is available,” he said.
"It will become more important this year than previously, as there is still a risk of Covid-19 cases returning in greater numbers later in the year. That will put a strain on hospital resources so it is important people take responsibility for their health and get the influenza vaccine."
While there are four different influenza viruses, only two types cause seasonal epidemics. Flu vaccines are developed each year. Doctors test for influenza via a nasal swab, similar to Covid-19, but results can usually be seen within minutes in a hospital setting, instead of the 24 hours for a PCR Covid-19 test.
Dr Baladi hopes medics will soon be able to diagnose influenza and Covid-19 from the same sample.
"Everyone around the world is pushing to develop a diagnostic test kit for Covid in a similar to way to how we check for flu," he said. "We anticipate a testing kit capable of testing for both viruses from the same sample will be available soon. It will be much more practical and make all our lives easier."
Virologists and pharmaceutical companies try to stay ahead of the virus by predicting how severe an outbreak may be.
Because flu viruses are constantly mutating, a vaccine's composition is also reviewed and updated each year. More than 100 research centres across 100 nations conduct annual surveillance by testing thousands of patient samples each year. That research is collated by the laboratories and sent to five World Health Organisation centres in the US, UK, Australia, Japan and China to find the most effective vaccine for the coming season.
“We have already planned to increase our supplies of flu vaccine this winter when it is available, but that is dependent on manufacturers meeting our demands,” said Dr Baladi, who works at Burjeel Day Surgery Centre on Reem Island, where 550 shots where administered during the last flu season.
“Flu and Covid can exist together, only time will tell how often we will see that.
“If you have both simultaneously, it could be very serious.
“People still do not take influenza seriously enough or know about how severe symptoms can be. With what has happened with Covid this year, maybe that will change.”
Influenza usually peaks in November and December, with a second peak in February.
Hospitals should start receiving supplies of vaccines in September to distribute in October, because it takes weeks to develop antibodies.
Flu symptoms typically last days, and can include fever, persistent cough, sore throat and runny nose.
These symptoms can also be found in Covid-19 patients, but tend to last considerably longer.
Low flu numbers in southern hemisphere gives medics hope
Low numbers of flu cases recorded in the southern hemisphere could be a sign that this year’s season may not be as severe as some fear.
Australia recorded only 36 flu-related deaths from January to June, down from 430 the previous year. Meanwhile, Chile recorded 1,134 seasonal respiratory infections during its flu season this year, considerably down from the 20,949 recorded last year.
Increased awareness of contagion risks and the adoption of social distancing and other precautions could have contributed to the success.
It is important people take responsibility for their health and get the influenza vaccine
Although government figures on vaccine coverage was not available for influenza, NMC Hospitals delivered 35,700 of the Dh42 jabs to residents in 2019.
Dr Abhilash Ramachandran Nair, an internal medicine specialist at Aster Hospital, in Dubai's Al Qusais district, expects most hospitals to have begun crisis planning for an outbreak of influenza.
In the UAE, advice to protect against seasonal flu was extended to all age groups last year, rather than only the vulnerable such as young children, the elderly or those with existing chronic health conditions.
For the first time, people in Abu Dhabi could get vaccinated at home by the Department of Health. Although government figures on vaccine coverage was not available for influenza, NMC Hospitals delivered 35,700 of the Dh42 jabs to residents in 2019.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Poacher
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Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
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New schools in Dubai
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
More coverage from the Future Forum
RACECARD
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The five pillars of Islam
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
More from Aya Iskandarani
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Indika
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Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
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More Iraq election coverage:
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Squads
India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur
West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Second Test
In Dubai
Pakistan 418-5 (declared)
New Zealand 90 and 131-2 (follow on)
Day 3: New Zealand trail by 197 runs with 8 wickets remaining
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
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