If there is any peak at a silver lining from the pandemic, it could be that the social restrictions recommended to keep the novel coronavirus transmission at bay, will also limit the spread of the flu virus. People are also reporting fewer sniffles and colds as the season shift.

“It’s absolutely because of the precautions we are taking,” said CNN medical analyst and emergency physician Dr. Leana S. Wen. Wen, an expert on public health preparedness, added that “the same precautions that protect us against the coronavirus also protect against colds, flus, and respiratory pathogens.

The expert explained that washing your hands, keeping your distance, and wearing a mask all help protect against the transmission of disease. She noted that people are also more aware that unmuffled coughs and sneezes in public are no longer acceptable.

According to CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that Australia has had one its mildest flu season in years.

“They almost, as they call it, had an absent flu season,” said Fauci last September. “The theory is that all the precautions they took to contain the pandemic averted a flu season.”

However, both Wen and Fauci said that it is still highly recommended to get the flu shot now, as the start of the flu season in the Western Hemisphere is November. The flu vaccine can help prevent potentially deadly pneumonia, infections, and the worsening of medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and congestive heart failure caused by influenza. It is especially important for people over the age of 65 to get vaccinated because they are at increased risk of serious flu-related complications, along with pregnant woman and young children.

According to The New York Times, although the annual flu vaccine may be 50% effective in preventing the main influenza strains, “it’s still better than zero,” said Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease at the University of Minnesota. Osterholm added that we still must practice social distancing, washing our hands frequently, and wearing masks in public.