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Experts interviewed: Peking University Shougang HospitalInfectDirector of the Management and Disease Control Department: Li Qi

Global Times Health Client Reporter Dong Changxi

It seems that more people have caught colds this summer than in previous years. According to the latest national epidemic overview of notifiable infectious diseases released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of influenza cases in my country in June was 314,709, nearly four times the 65,289 cases in the same period last year. The monitoring data of the National Influenza Center also showed that the "percentage of influenza-like cases in outpatient and emergency cases" in northern China is currently higher than the same period in 2021-2023. From July 29 to August 4, the percentage of influenza-like cases in sentinel hospitals (key monitoring point hospitals specially established by the state to strengthen the control and prevention of epidemics or infectious diseases) was 3.8% (as shown in the figure below, the red line is this year's data curve).

It is generally believed that influenza is prevalent mainly in autumn, winter and spring, and summer is not the peak season for influenza. Why is the influenza epidemic this summer higher than in previous years? In this regard, a reporter from the Global Times Health Client interviewed Li Qi, director of the Infection Management and Disease Control Department of Peking University Shougang Hospital. She said that the increase in influenza patients this summer may mean that the seasonal pattern of influenza has been broken, that is, the seasonal epidemic characteristics of influenza will no longer be obvious. In fact, the "off-season" epidemic of influenza has already occurred in 2023. According to data released by the National Influenza Center, the positive rate of influenza virus detection in southern provinces of my country continued to rise in June 2023, and some provinces experienced high incidence in the summer. This year's "off-season" trend of influenza is only an increase compared to last year.

"In fact, it is not uncommon for influenza to be prevalent in summer." Li Qi said that influenza has typical seasonal characteristics, but it also presents highly diverse characteristics in the north and south of my country. A study on the prevalence of influenza A in different regions of my country showed that the peak of influenza A in northern provinces such as Shandong and Hebei, which are north of 33° north latitude, is from January to February each year; the peak in southern provinces such as Guangdong and Guangxi, which are south of 27° north latitude, is from April to June each year; and the regions between the two latitudes, such as Jiangxi and Hubei, have "double peaks" from January to February and from June to August each year.

Li Qi believes that the harm of influenza has been greatly underestimated.WHO) estimated that seasonal influenza causes 650,000 deaths worldwide each year, equivalent to one death from influenza every 48 seconds[1].

Therefore, she reminded that although the summer flu has come to an end, it is now approaching the end of summer heat. The heat in many areas is gradually disappearing, the temperature is getting cooler, and the temperature difference between day and night is gradually widening. The respiratory system is still vulnerable to attack, so be careful to prevent influenza. The main symptoms of influenza are fever and headache, and the body temperature can reach 39℃~40℃. Children usually have a higher fever than adults. They may have symptoms such as sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, discomfort behind the sternum, facial flushing, as well as chills, chills, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and other systemic manifestations. Because the symptoms lack specificity, they are easily confused with the common cold, COVID-19, etc.pneumoniaIt is difficult to distinguish between the two, so it is best to go to the fever clinic in time. The elderly, children under 5 years old, pregnant women, and patients with underlying diseases should pay special attention. Previous data show that one to two weeks after the start of school each year are the peak period for infectious diseases.

Flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza and can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of influenza.complicationAfter receiving the flu vaccine, it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks for the flu vaccine to produce a protective level.Antibody, so it is recommended to complete the vaccination before the local influenza epidemic season.

Maintaining good personal hygiene habits is also an important means of preventing respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza. Wash your hands frequently; during the influenza epidemic season, high-risk groups should avoid crowded places and wear masks when going there; cover your mouth and nose with tissues or towels when coughing or sneezing, and try to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth before washing your hands. ▲

Data source:

[1]World Health Organization. Fact sheeton influenza(seasonal). In. [http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal)].

Editor: Deng Yu

Editor-in-Chief: Zhang Fang