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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Influenza Circulation During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Seasons, in Europe

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Influenza Circulation During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Seasons, in Europe


Title: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Influenza Circulation During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Seasons, in Europe
Author: Sinnathamby, Mary A
Meslé, Margaux M  I
Mook, Piers
Pebody, Richard
Bino, Silvia
Hasibra, Iris
Bakunts, Nune
Abovyan, Romella
Khachtryan, Evgenia
Redlberger-Fritz, Monika
... 90 more authors Show all authors
Date: 2024-05
Language: English
Scope: 15
University/Institute: Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland
Department: Faculty of Medicine
Other departments
Series: Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses; 18(5)
ISSN: 1750-2640
DOI: 10.1111/irv.13297
Subject: Sýklafræði; COVID-19 pandemic; epidemiology; Europe; influenza; non-sentinel; sentinel; severity; surveillance; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Infectious Diseases; Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine; Epidemiology
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4928

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Citation:

Sinnathamby , MA , Meslé , MM I , Mook , P , Pebody , R , Bino , S , Hasibra , I , Bakunts , N , Abovyan , R , Khachtryan , E , Redlberger-Fritz , M , Mursalova , N , Aliyeva , F , Vysotskaya , V , Shmialiova , N , Karaban , I , Bossuyt , N , Barbezange , C , Musa , S , Vukmir , N R , Ljubović , A D , Baštinac , D , Vladimirov , N , Korsun , N , Trifonova , I , Tabain , I , Petrović , G , Karagiannis , C , Haralambous , C , Jirincova , H , Kyncl , J , Trebbien , R , Vestergaard , L S , Sadikova , O , Eero , I , Metsoja , E , Ikonen , N , Lyytikäinen , O , Nohynek , H , Fournier , L , Guerrisi , C , Valette , M , Machablishvili , A , Buda , S , Dürrwald , R , Gioula , G , Mary , E , Mellou , K , Rózsa , M , Molnár , Z , Ármannsdóttir , B , Aspelund , G , O’Donnell , J , Domegan , L , Connell , J , Mandelboim , M , Glatman-Freedman , A , Puzelli , S , Palamara , A T , Maraglino , F , Smagulova , S M K , Userbayev , A S , Kalaveshi , A , Jakupi , X , Gunga , Z K , Otorbaeva , D S , Abdyldaeva , S Z , Esengeldiev , G M , Vasiļevska , D , Tomašūna , K K , Savicka , O , Gargasiene , G , Muralyte , S , Nguyen , T N , Mossong , J , Abdelrahman , T T , Melillo , T , Zahra , G , Melillo , J , Rakocevic , B , Zekovic , Z , Medenica , S , de Lange , M , Meijer , A , Kochinski , D , Boshevska , G , Paulsen , T , Bragstad , K , Brydak , L B , Hallmann , E , Szymański , K , Rodrigues , A P , Verdasca , N , Guiomar , R , Druc , A , Apostol , M , Popescu , R , Popovici , O , Lazar , M , Komissarov , A B & Fadeev , A 2024 , ' Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Influenza Circulation During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Seasons, in Europe ' , Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses , vol. 18 , no. 5 , e13297 . https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.13297

Abstract:

Background: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 saw the implementation of public health and social measures (PHSM) by countries across Europe to reduce its transmission and impact on populations. Consequently, countries reported changes in influenza circulation and extensive disruptions to routine surveillance systems. Methods: We describe the epidemiology of influenza in Europe between Weeks 40/2020 and 39/2022 compared to the 2016/17 to 2019/20 seasons, to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and PHSM on surveillance systems and influenza circulation. Results: Low detections of influenza were observed through primary care sentinel sources during seasonal influenza periods (Week 40 to 20); 56 (of 39,457 specimens tested; < 1% positivity) in 2020/21 and 7261 (of 64,153 specimens tested; 11% positivity) detections in 2021/22 were observed, compared to an average of 18,383 (of 50,544 specimens tested; 36% positivity) detections in 2016/17 to 2019/20. Similarly, 11 (of 19,989 specimens tested; < 1% positivity) and 1488 (of 23,636 specimens tested; 6% positivity) detections were reported through SARI surveillance sources in 2020/21 and 2021/22, respectively, compared to an average of 2850 (of 10,389 specimens tested; 27% positivity) detections in 2016/17 to 2019/20. However, the 2021/22 interseasonal period saw unusual increases in influenza detections across surveillance site types when PHSM were easing. Conclusion: In conclusion, findings suggest that the restriction and easing of PHSM measures were associated with variations in influenza detections. Our observations of out-of-season influenza activity highlight the importance of an integrated respiratory surveillance strategy to monitor circulating respiratory viruses throughout the year to inform optimal prevention and control strategies.

Description:

Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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