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Currently, very few cases of influenza are reported in Switzerland. It seems similar all over the world. A connection to Corona should be obvious.
Lie down, rest, and wait until you get better – the flu today is much less conspicuous than in previous years.
Photo: Martin Ruetschi (Keystone)
The flu season in Switzerland has so far been canceled. Influenza viruses are not found throughout the country. Other respiratory infections are prominent. The reason for this is likely to be the protective measures taken during the Covid 19 pandemic (read here: Covid vs. This is how you can tell the difference).
However, due to the Covid-19 situation, Sentinella monitoring is currently only reliable up to a point, as the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) announced in its newsletter Monday. This is why a reliable epidemic value cannot be calculated for the 2020/21 flu season.
According to the BAG, it should also be noted that the Sentinella system only includes medical consultations. Visits to Covid-19 testing centers or hospitals for flu-like symptoms are not included. Therefore, trends should be viewed with caution and comparisons between regions are not possible.
Without influenza virus
The 194 reporting physicians had eight consultations in the second week of January due to suspected influenza. Extrapolated, this results in 63 inquiries per 100,000 inhabitants. The number of inquiries showed a slight increase.
The consultation rate for suspected influenza was highest in the second week of the year among 15 to 29-year-olds. However, in the first two weeks, no influenza viruses were detected in any region of the Sentinella system.
Regardless of Sentinella, laboratories must report evidence of influenza. There was evidence of this in the second week of January.
The National Reference Center for Influenza examined 652 samples so far in the 2020/21 influenza season. These came not only from patients with flu-like illnesses, but also from those suspected of Covid-19. No influenza viruses were found.
The suspicion of Covid 19 was confirmed in 25 percent of the samples. Rhinoviruses (rhinitis and colds) were responsible for 20 percent of illnesses. Other respiratory pathogens and adenoviruses (eye infections) accounted for the rest of the infections. None of the viruses tested was present in 54 percent of the samples.
No epidemic anywhere in the world
Nor has there been an international influenza epidemic. During the flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, despite constant and even increased testing, only a few flu pathogens were detected.
According to the BAG, influenza in Europe is at an intermediate seasonal level. In most countries, no influenza viruses were detected within Sentinella surveillance. Worldwide, flu activity is estimated to be less than usual for the time of year. Only in Southeast Asia were there widespread influenza viruses.
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