The coronavirus outbreak has been making headlines on a daily basis, but flu is actually a bigger threat to most people, health experts say.

Bill Piano, of East Meadow, brought his 15-year-old son Joseph to the doctor, where he learned he has the flu. The 10th grader says it has been going around at school.

Both Nassau and Suffolk County health departments say flu cases are on the rise, with the B strain dominating flu season thus far.

Pediatrician Dr. John Zaso is among health officials who are warning we could be in for a "double-barreled" flu season, which means a person could get sick twice from the flu this year.

"What happened is essentially you get one strain, either the B or the A -- sometime later you get the opposite strain of what you had," says Zaso.

As News 12 has reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been 26 million flu-related illnesses in the U.S. between October and January. As many as 25,000 people have died.

Zaso says it is not too late to get the flu vaccine.

"While the flu shot is not perfect, getting the vaccine, even if you get sick, is less likely to lead to a fatality or hospitalization," says Zaso.

Zaso says the flu shot is about 40% effective so far this season.