Recipients will this fall be able to kill two birds with the one stone, in getting 'flu jabs at the same time they present for their Covid vaccination, Lutsar, who rose to prominence during the pandemic and ran for Eesti 200 at the 2023 Riigikogu election, went on.

Speaking to the "Vikerhommik" radio show Tuesday, the doctor said that Covid is no seasonal virus, though it does spread in difficult-to-forecast waves.

"Sometimes it seems like there's a new wave every six months, yet some spikes can occur even sooner," she said.

Other virus strains appear in the summer too, leave alone fall and winter. According to Lutsar, the 'flu typically disappears in April or May, and returns in autumn, making summer its "off season."

However, enteroviruses and adenoviruses are present year-round.

People can most frequently contract rhinoviruses, even during the summer.

Every year, a dominant strain of the coronavirus has emerged. In Estonia, the JN.1 strain, also widespread across Europe, has gained traction since the beginning of this year.

Lutsar said: "In general, a new strain predominates for a year, then fades away and is replaced by another one. Vaccines get constantly reviewed and updated."

Lutsar noted that young and healthy individuals do not need special treatment for Covid. Continuous testing is also not always needed. "Propagating anxiety about health helps no one. When a person is sick, they should stay home, and even if their Covid test returns negative, if they are perceptibly ill they should not socialize and run the risk of infecting others. Recovery is also faster when we don't try to act the hero and push through a period of sickness," she said.

According to Lutsar, Covid remains a serious health threat, with over a 100 people currently hospitalized in Estonia due to contracting the virus, some of whom require ventilators.

Hospitals in the U.K., too, are systematically reporting Covid cases.

On this Lutsar said: "During the peak Covid period there were 35,000 people hospitalized in the U.K. Currently, there are around a couple of thousand. We don't know if all those hospitalized are there as a result of the coronavirus or if they just happened to test positive while hospitalized for other reasons. Nonetheless, Covid still leads to hospitalizations, and can be fatal. It is a serious illness which affects the immune system, and many aspects of it remain unclear," the virologist noted.

As for those who are not in a risk group and are young and healthy, Lutsar believes they do not need to get a Covid jab.

Different countries do vary in their recommendations on this, however.

For instance, the U.S. recommends vaccination for all, while most European countries suggest vaccination for at-risk groups only.

In the U.K. the recommendation is to get vaccinated twice per year: In the autumn and in the spring.

Lutsar said: "Vaccines do not prevent actual infection, but they are very effective in preventing severe illness and death."

"I have yet to find a single study demonstrating that Covid vaccines do not significantly reduce severe illness and mortality," she added.

Older adults and people battling for instance malignant tumors should on the other hand certainly get vaccinated annually, Lutsar said.

"In any case, risk groups should get vaccinated. Influenza and Covid vaccines can be administered at the same time. Don't take the risk of simply toughing out an illness. Yes, not all illnesses end in a bad way, but, sometimes, they can," Lutsar noted.

From this month, two changes have been implemented in the Health Board's (Terviseamet) statistical reporting which will lead to a rise the total number of reported cases.

In addition to PCR tests results, statistics will now include diagnoses made based on clinical symptoms, plus even self-diagnosed results, provided these are confirmed by a healthcare professional.

Professor Lutsar said that statistics are necessary to understand the progression of any disease.

"It is always easier to deal with known issues than unknown ones. If someone tests positive at home, I recommend calling their family doctor, who can then notify the Health Board, then the case will be logged," she concluded.

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