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Health & Wellness News

State Health Secretary says she’s nervous about the impacts of COVID-19 during flu season

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Commonwealth Media Services: Natalie Kolb
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Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine speaks during a press conference, announcing the 96th presumptive positive case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Pennsylvania, inside PEMA headquarters on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - New COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Pennsylvania. The state health department announced Wednesday that there were more than 1,150 confirmed cases bringing the statewide total to nearly 159,000. Nearly 20 new deaths were reported. 

State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says she is nervous about the impacts of COVID-19 in the fall and winter seasons. 

“We’re going to have COVID-19 and our usual flu season, and that is a potentially very serious issue. No one knows what happens if you get COVID-19 and influenza at the same time.”

Levine says, cold weather and less humidity in the air impacts the spread of respiratory viruses and could cause a spike in COVID cases across the US and in the Commonwealth. 

She also stressed the importance of getting a flu shot this year.

To date, there have been more than 8,100 deaths attributed to the coronavirus in Pennsylvania.