Page 8 - SFHN SEPTEMBER 2021

Cover Story: Is COVID-19 Different UM Researchers Reveal

Than Smallpox or Polio? It Shouldn’t Be. that the Flu Shot Protects Against

Severe Effects of COVID-19
Continued from page 1 limited due to bed and staff shortages.
KIDZ Medical Services, which serves
shot, then I’ll get it.”
You see, in healthcare, rules and pro- children in seven South Florida coun- In a newly published study physician- The analysis revealed that those who
cedures keep the patients and us safe. ties, implemented a mandatory vaccine scientists at the University of Miami had not had the flu shot were significant-
Any wishy-washy language is a red flag. policy in August. We believe this deci- Miller School of Medicine have shown ly more likely (up to 20 percent more
Unfortunately, market interests have an sion reflects our commitment to our that the flu vaccine may provide vital likely) to have been admitted to the ICU.
impact here, too. What healthcare exec- patients, respect for our dedicated – and protection against COVID-19. They were also significantly more likely
utives and lay leaders are most worried stressed - caregivers, and our role in pro- The study, titled “Exam ining the to visit the emergency department (up to
about is losing employees during a time tecting the public health. We join several potential benefits of the influenza vac- 58 percent more likely), to develop sep-
of staffing shortages and burn-out local healthcare organizations and cine against SARS-CoV-2: A retrospective sis (up to 45 percent more likely), to
brought on by COVID-19-related renowned institutions such as Yale-New cohort analysis of 74,754 patients,” was have a stroke (up to 58 percent more
exhaustion. That could compromise the Haven, Mayo Clinic, Children’s Hospital published in the peer-reviewed scientific likely) and a DVT (up to 40 percent more
fundamental mission of care. of Philadelphia and St. Jude in adopting journal PLoS One. This was the largest likely). The risk of death was not
Furthermore, in south Florida, hospi- this mandatory COVID-19 vaccine. study of its kind and analyzed deidenti- reduced.
tals and medical practices compete for There is a saying, often attributed to fied patient records from around the The investigators were also able to cal-
nurses, doctors, technologists, and social Winston Churchill, that describes how world strongly suggesting that the annu- culate how many COVID-19-positive
workers. The pandemic disruption has we as a culture behave, “Americans can al flu shot reduces the risks of stroke, patients would need to receive an
also created demand for medical assis- always be counted on to do the right sepsis, and DVT in patients with COVID- influenza vaccine in order to avoid one
tants, environmental service techs, and thing, after they have exhausted all other 19. Patients with COVID-19 who had adverse outcome.
patient transporters. These support possibilities.” Antibacterial wipes, been vaccinated against the flu were also Notably, they found that only 176
workers are opting for jobs in the hospi- extended social isolation, masks, etc. We significantly less likely to visit the emer- patients needed to have received a flu
tality and food service industries, which breathed a collective sigh of relief when gency department and be admitted to the vaccine in order to prevent one ED visit
have been compelled to escalate starting the vaccines were created and proven intensive care unit. within 120 days of testing positively for
salaries. effective without compromising safety. The study was conducted using patient COVID-19. Additionally, only 286
This human resource shortage has cre- The fix was in – until it wasn’t. records from countries including the patients needed to have received their flu
ated a pervasive fear that mandating vac- We had – and have - a pathway to take U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, Israel and vaccine to prevent one case of sepsis,
cines will cause an exodus of staff to the power away from this virus. As with Singapore. The team screened de-identi- which is known to be the most expensive
healthcare organizations that don’t most types of combat, allies win togeth- fied electronic health records on the condition to treat in the U.S. healthcare
require them. Yet there is a huge corol- er. If we do not lead, the community will TriNetX research database for more than system. Lastly, for every 440 patients
lary risk of the unvaccinated healthcare not have an example to follow. We need 70 million patients to identify two who were up-to-date on their flu shot,
staff falling acutely ill and exacerbating the whole healthcare village engaged and groups of 37,377 patients. The two one ICU admission was prevented.
both the staffing and capacity problems, vaccinated to win the war on COVID-19. patient groups were then matched for Although it isn't exactly known yet how
which is already happening in Louisiana factors that could influence their risk of the flu vaccine provides protection against
and other states. In addition, hospital Wayne Brackin is President and CEO of susceptibility to severe COVID-19, COVID-19, most theories speculate that
care and elective procedures are already KIDZ Medical.
including but not limited to age, gender, the flu shot may boost the innate immune
ethnicity, smoking, and health problems system – general defenses we are born
such as diabetes, obesity, and chronic with that are not specialized to protect
obstructive pulmonary disease. against any one specific illness.
Members of the first study group had The results, said study authors, strongly
received the flu vaccine two weeks and suggest that the flu vaccine may protect
six months prior to being diagnosed with against several severe effects of COVID-
COVID-19. Those in the second group 19. However, they strongly recommend
also had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis that people receive COVID-19 vaccines
but were not vaccinated against the flu. as well their annual influenza vaccine.
The incidence of 15 adverse outcomes They add that more research, in the form
(sepsis; strokes; deep vein thrombosis or of prospective randomized control trials,
DVT; pulmonary embolism; acute respi- is needed to prove and better understand
ratory failure; acute respiratory distress the possible link but, in the future, the
syndrome; arthralgia or joint pain; renal flu shot could be used to help provide
failure; anorexia; heart attack; pneumo- increased protection in countries where
nia; emergency department visits; hospi- the COVID-19 vaccine is in short supply
tal admission; ICU admission; and or even aid in the ongoing struggle
death) within 30, 60, 90 and 120 days of against breakthrough cases in those indi-
testing positive for COVID-19 were then viduals already vaccinated against
compared between the two groups. COVID-19.

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8 September 2021 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News