Changes in Influenza Activity and Circulating Subtypes During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China

Frontiers in Medicine

article

Luyan Zheng¹  Jinjin Qi¹  Jie Wu¹  Min Zheng¹ 

[1] State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University

关键词: COVID-19;    influenza activity;    influenza season;    subtypes;    non-pharmaceutical interventions;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2022.829799

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Background Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to mitigate COVID-19 can impact the circulation of influenza viruses. There is a need to describe the activity of influenza and its subtypes during the COVID-19 pandemic to aid in the development of influenza prevention and control measures in the next influenza season. Method Data from pathogenic surveillance performed by the Chinese National Influenza Center from January 2016 to August 2021 were extracted and stratified by type and subtype for northern China and southern China. The distribution of influenza activity and circulating subtypes were described during the COVID-19 pandemic, and data from 2016 to 2019 were used for comparisons. Results Influenza activity declined rapidly and then rose slowly during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The distribution of influenza subtypes changed from A-dominant to B/Victoria-dominant after the COVID-19 outbreak. Discussion Whether the B/Yamagata lineage has disappeared from China deserves more attention in future virologic monitoring programs. The influenza vaccination campaign in the 2021–2022 season is an important means by which to reduce the proportion of susceptible people and limit the damage that potentially greater and earlier circulation of the virus could cause.

【 授权许可】

CC BY