Impact of Public Health Interventions on Seasonal Influenza Activity During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea
Impact of Public Health Interventions on Seasonal Influenza Activity During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea
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DOI：
10.1093/cid/ciaa672
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发表时间：
2021-07-01
影响因子：
11.8
通讯作者：
Kim, Hong Bin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lee, Hyunju;Lee, Heeyoung;Kim, Hong Bin
背景2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）于2月中旬在韩国大规模爆发。我们回顾了COVID-19爆发期间使用的公共卫生干预措施，并描述了对韩国季节性流感活动的影响。疫情期间，我们检讨韩国的国家应对策略、公共卫生干预措施及每日COVID-19确诊病例。比较了7个连续季节的国家流感监测数据。分析各季节流感样病例（ILI）发生率、流行持续时间、流行终止日期、流感病毒株分布、住院情况等特征。经过各种公共卫生干预措施，包括加强手部卫生，咳嗽礼仪，呼吸道症状留在家中，在公共场所普遍使用口罩，避免不必要的社会活动，2019/2020年度流感疫情持续时间减少6-12周，流感活动高峰期为49.8 ILI/1000次就诊，而前几个季节为71.9-86.2 ILI/1000次就诊。在2020年第9-17周的强制社交距离期间，流感住院病例比前几个季节减少了11.9-26.9倍。在2019/2020季节，流感B仅占4%，而前几个季节流感B占所有病例的26.6%-54.9%。启动高级别国家应对措施的努力不仅导致COVID-19疫情减少，而且季节性流感活动也大幅减少。用于控制COVID-19的干预措施可能成为未来季节预防和控制流感的有用策略。
Background. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was introduced in Korea early with a large outbreak in mid-February. We reviewed the public health interventions used during the COVID-19 outbreak and describe the impact on seasonal influenza activity in Korea.Methods. National response strategies, public health interventions and daily COVID-19-confirmed cases in Korea were reviewed during the pandemic. National influenza surveillance data were compared between 7 sequential seasons. Characteristics of each season, including rate of influenza-like illness (ILI), duration of epidemic, date of termination of epidemic, distribution of influenza virus strain, and hospitalization, were analyzed.Results. After various public health interventions including enforced public education on hand hygiene, cough etiquette, staying at home with respiratory symptoms, universal mask use in public places, refrain from nonessential social activities, and school closures the duration of the influenza epidemic in 2019/2020 decreased by 6-12 weeks and the influenza activity peak rated 49.8 ILIs/1000 visits compared to 71.9-86.2 ILIs/1000 visits in previous seasons. During the period of enforced social distancing from weeks 9-17 of 2020, influenza hospitalization cases were 11.9-26.9-fold lower compared with previous seasons. During the 2019/2020 season, influenza B accounted for only 4%, in contrast to previous seasons in which influenza B accounted for 26.6-54.9% of all cases.Conclusions. Efforts to activate a high-level national response not only led to a decrease in COVID-19 but also a substantial decrease in seasonal influenza activity. Interventions applied to control COVID-19 may serve as useful strategies for prevention and control of influenza in upcoming seasons.