| What will the winter look like? The uncertainty of that season shadowed the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. from the start, when the virus spread quickly in the waning days of last winter. Resuming school, gathering for holidays and cold weather driving people indoors could accelerate viral spread. The same factors shape the course of the annual flu epidemic that sweeps the northern hemisphere as the days get colder and shorter. The country has a window in the months ahead to avert the worst-case scenario of rampant coronavirus infections colliding with widespread flu. Both diseases on their own have filled hospitals past normal capacity, and together the burden could be unmanageable. Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Thursday that he's optimistic the country will keep both viruses in check, if Americans diligently wear masks, maintain distance, wash hands, shun mass events — and get their flu shots. "There's evidence that the American public are listening," he said.  Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Photographer: Erin Scott/Bloomberg But even with new Covid cases trending downward from the summer peak, the country has a long way to go. Redfield said states should have less than 5% of Covid tests coming back positive — a threshold more than 30 states now exceed. That has raised the stakes for getting flu shots to more people this year. The vaccine is recommended for everyone over 6 months, but less than half of adults typically get it. This year, manufacturers produced a record supply of nearly 200 million doses for the U.S. and health officials are planning new efforts to reach underserved communities and exploring socially distanced ways to give the shot, like drive-through clinics. The same behaviors that spread Covid can also spread the flu. If Americans have truly learned from the summer surge, as Redfield believes, the winter may be milder on both fronts. But the window to drive down coronavirus cases before the flu arrives shrinks each day. —John Tozzi | 
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