This premonitory study thus provides initial evidence of a long-term and logical relationship between the prevention and control measures put in place in China during the COVID-19 pandemic – measures recently lifted – and the incidence of flu and respiratory infections.
One of the lead authors, researcher Zirui Guo from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Peking University’s School of Public Health recalls that “since December 2019, i.e. more than 3 years, non-pharmaceutical barrier measures and vaccination once morest COVID-19 have been widely used to prevent and control community transmission of COVID-19. Measures, which have certainly influenced the evolution of the flu epidemic”.
The COVID-19 epidemic has changed the epidemic trend and characteristics of influenza.
However, influenza is also an acute respiratory infectious disease that can impose a heavy burden on populations and health systems. The marked decrease in influenza activity recorded since the start of 2020, particularly in Japan and the United States, and more broadly in the northern hemisphere, may well be reversed.
The study shows that in China in particular, a significant decrease in influenza activity was indeed observed from the start of the implementation of measures once morest the COVID-19 pandemic, even to the point of losing its seasonality, in China, during the season 2020/2021. Among the main conclusions of this analysis of seasonal patterns of influenza according to the chronology of anti-COVID-19 measures implemented in China:
- In China, reduction of influenza viral infection correlates well with interventions once morest COVID-19;
- a resurgence of other respiratory viruses – now recognized worldwide – might follow the lifting of anti-COVID measures;
- the general population has missed the opportunity to boost their immunity once morest influenza in the past 2 years;
- high-risk groups, such as young children and the elderly, are more vulnerable to more severe and longer-lasting flu.
What actions? Researchers suggest increasing flu vaccine coverage, strengthening surveillance of circulating flu and its viruses, as well as SARS-CoV-2 variants.
“Other studies should be carried out to predict the possible evolutions of this lifting of the barrier measures”.
