Research published in the journal Health Data Science provides preliminary evidence of a long-term relationship between prevention and control measures and influenza transmission in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced flu prevalence may be linked to long-term public health measures against COVID-19 in China, according to a study.
Zirui Guo of Peking University of Public Health says “Since December 2019, various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and vaccination against COVID-19 have been used to prevent and control community transmission of COVID-19, However, the relationship between the changing influenza epidemic and the prevention and control of COVID-19 has been unclear.
Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease that can pose a high burden and lead to severe seasonal epidemics or even pandemics. Australia, Chile and other areas in the southern hemisphere shared this observation during their 2020 flu season. However, early 2020 saw a significant reduction in flu activity in Japan and the US, among other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the researchers said.
Professor Min Liu, author of the study said “According to our analysis, the outbreak of COVID-19 changed the epidemic trend and characteristics of influenza, To protect these vulnerable populations, efforts should be made to strengthen influenza surveillance and establish a comprehensive influenza and SARS-CoV-2 surveillance system, in addition to increasing influenza vaccine coverage, they said. “Due to limitations in our analysis, further studies should be conducted to confirm our results”.
The researchers analyzed the epidemiology and seasonal patterns of influenza based on a timeline of COVID-19 NPIs introduced in China. They found that the reduction in influenza virus infection may be related to the country’s daily public health interventions for COVID-19. Respiratory illnesses often occur in the winter and spring when COVID-19 and influenza tend to spread easily. As a result, high-risk populations, such as young children and the elderly, are more vulnerable to widespread and severe illness from the flu over time, according to the researchers.
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