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UF Health Jacksonville prepares for flu season amid COVID-19

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — UF Health Jacksonville is seeing a decrease in COVID-19 cases according to Dr. David Caro, the UF Health Jacksonville Department of Emergency Medicine and Disaster Medical Director.

He told Jacksonville’s Morning News that the decline is slower than what they would like to see, but at least it is declining.

“But there’s definitely a down downward trend and we’re seeing more of the ICU beds open up, which is thankfully where we are hoping to go. We’re planning if there’s going to be another wave we expect with the flu season coming up. And so we’re planning for that and getting prepped for that right now. Hopefully it won’t get as bad as it did about a month but we are preparing for that just in case,” said Dr. Caro.

Caro said UF Health is getting ready for the flu season by making sure all personal protective equipment is stocked and having conversations with the other hospitals.

“We’ve been in discussions with our pediatricians and with Wilson’s Children’s Hospital and a couple of the other area hospitals making plans for those kind of ways that would also impact us at the same time, another COVID wave could,” Caro said. “So right now, we’re planning for not just ICU, but also pediatric intensive care and some of the other things that could particularly hit us right during flu season and try and make sure that we’re ready for all those hazards in case there’s those all hit at the same time.”

With schools reopening, they are expecting to see more cases, but the full correlation between opening and a rise in cases won’t be seen until mid-September.

“And then right behind that will come the flu season and all the other typical infections that come when we get there to winter,” Caro said.


Hannah Lee

Hannah Lee

Hannah Lee is a General Assignment Reporter for 104.5 WOKV.

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