Metro Detroit doctor expects Covid, flu cases to spike in colder months

DETROIT (FOX 2) - As the fall nears, a Metro Detroit doctor is concerned about how Covid will impact people.

"When omicron come in November December it hit hard and numbers went sky-high," said Dr. Matthew Sims, with Beaumont Health. 

Sims said the medical community isn't really sure what to expect with the colder months and flu season approaching.

"My guess is that it will go up, both Covid and flu," he said. "I fully expect flu to be back in force this year."

Sims believes the numbers will go up because requirements for masking and other protocols have gone down or don’t exist at all.

"We’re not masking or distancing the way we were. Schools are in session; that’s going to make an impact," he said.

As doctors work to predict the impact of the Covid and flu seasons, they’re also watching the number of people being treated at hospitals for Covid.

"Our numbers at the hospital have been incredibly steady over the last two, three months," Sims said. "I expect that as the weather gets colder as people move indoors more, we’re going to see it pop up again."

If numbers continue to increase, medical professionals say plan your holiday gatherings with caution.

"The older you are, the more at risk you are for serious outcomes," Sims said. "If your family is comfortable being together, realizing there is some risk, then that’s OK."

Doctors want anyone who is eligible to get the new booster, which protects against omicron, to get the shot to help keep Covid numbers down.