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. 2020 Aug:97:78-80.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.088. Epub 2020 May 31.

Does COVID-19 infection impact on the trend of seasonal influenza infection? 11 countries and regions, from 2014 to 2020

Takahiro Itaya  1 , Yuki Furuse  2 , Kazuaki Jindai  3
Affiliations

Does COVID-19 infection impact on the trend of seasonal influenza infection? 11 countries and regions, from 2014 to 2020

Takahiro Itaya et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: Infection due to the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is dramatically widespread around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic could increase public concern to prevent infectious disease. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between the COVID-19 epidemic and the potential decrease in seasonal influenza cases.

Methods: This study was performed to show trends in seasonal influenza cases from the 2014-2015 season to the 2019-2020 season in 11 countries and regions, and evaluate whether the trends in the 2019-2020 season were different before and after the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous seasons using a quasi-experimental difference-in-difference design.

Results: In East Asia, the number of seasonal influenza cases in the 2019-20 season was lower after the COVID-19 transmission compared to previous years. However, this was not the case in American countries or in European countries.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 epidemic might have altered health behaviors, resulting in an unexpected reduction of seasonal influenza cases.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health behavior; Human; Influenza; Pandemics.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in patients with influenza in 11 countries/regions over six seasons. ILI = influenza-like illness; PMP = private medical practitioner; ILINet = Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network; GP = general practitioner.
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