| Title | Where has all the influenza gone? The impact of COVID-19 on the circulation of influenza and other respiratory viruses, Australia, March to September 2020. | ||
| Author | Sullivan, Sheena G; Carlson, Sandra; Cheng, Allen C; Chilver, Monique Bn; Dwyer, Dominic E; Irwin, Melissa; Kok, Jen; Macartney, Kristine; MacLachlan, Jennifer; Minney-Smith, Cara; Smith, David; Stocks, Nigel; Taylor, Janette; Barr, Ian G | ||
| Journal | Euro Surveill | Publication Year/Month | 2020-Nov |
| PMID | 33243355 | PMCID | PMC7693168 |
| Affiliation + expend | 1.WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Doherty Department, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia. | ||
The coronavirus disease pandemic was declared in March 2020, as the southern hemisphere\'s winter approached. Australia expected co-circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses. However, influenza notifications were 7,029 (March-September) compared with an average 149,832 for the same period in 2015-2019 [corrected], despite substantial testing. Restrictions on movement within and into Australia may have temporarily eliminated influenza. Other respiratory pathogens also showed remarkably changed activity in 2020.