Due to the very strict approach to the corona pandemic in Australia, known infectious diseases were also massively contained. But now authorities in Australia are reporting a strong flu outbreak in many parts of the country as part of the easing. The health authorities are now urgently urging the population to get the flu vaccine.
Due to the strict corona measures, the flu virus had a two-year break almost everywhere. Special distancing rules and the obligation to wear a mask prevented the spread. Winter has just begun in the Southern Hemisphere – and the early and violent outbreak could foreshadow what to expect in Europe during the cold season.
Huge increase in the number of cases
Only 598 laboratory-confirmed flu cases were reported from January to November 2021, according to figures from the Australian Department of Health. From January to May 22, 2022, there were already more than 38,700 cases.
More than 26,000 of them were recorded between May 9 and 22 – meaning about 70 percent of this year’s cases occurred only in this short period of time. The wave is currently raging particularly hard in the eastern states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Young people are especially affected
Younger people are especially affected. Nearly half of those infected are under the age of 16, about 30 percent are between 16 and 64 years old, and only about five percent are older. However, the greatest risk by far is the elderly, the three people who officially died from the flu in Australia were 87 to 92 years old.
Wave brings back memories of 2017
Several states are therefore already offering free flu vaccinations – with an urgent appeal to take advantage of this offer. “The flu season this year is very bad and similar to what we had in 2017,” said Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk. “We need to respond now with a preemptive strike and make sure we take preemptive action.”
The 2017 flu epidemic was particularly severe, with more than 1,200 people dying from the virus in Australia during that time.
Bad omen for Europe?
The chance that Europe will experience a similar development in the autumn is quite high. In the 2019/20 season, the flu epidemic was less severe here than in Australia, probably only due to the corona measures taken. And here, too, there are bad memories of 2017 – Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recorded the worst flu wave in decades. It is estimated that about 25,000 people have died.
In Austria, the 2016/17 flu season also claimed many casualties with 4,400 flu-related deaths. In 2017/18 there were 2900 flu deaths in Germany, in 2018/19 around 1400 and in 2019/20 834 people died in this context.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
