1 week Ago
Epidemic Confirmation through GP Consultations
For the week ending 21 August 2021, there were 59 GP consultations per 100,000 patients with influenza-like symptoms, an increase from 51 GP consultations per 100,000 patients the week prior. The epidemic threshold is defined as 46 GP consultations per 100,000 patients, so the current number of GP consultations for influenza is well above the epidemic threshold and has remained above that threshold for the past two weeks, therefore confirming that influenza is now moving towards an epidemic. However, an official declaration of an epidemic does not result in any immediate changes to the way the healthcare system operates.
Compared with 2020, the influenza epidemic began later this year, with Australian Health officials reporting that GP influenza consultations reached epidemic levels at the end of January 2021. The peak of the influenza outbreak was at the end of the first week of February 2021, when GP consultations rose to 118 per 100,000 patients. During the outbreak of influenza in February, the number of GP consultations remained significantly above the national influenza threshold until the end of March.
Laboratory Data Shows Increased Activity of Influenza Virus
Experts rate the severity of influenza epidemics using not only the number of GP consultations for patients presenting with influenza-like symptoms but also the results of laboratory samples sent for testing. As many influenza-like symptoms are common to several different viruses/infections, laboratory testing is a major part of evaluating the presence and extent of the influenza virus within the community.
Very few patients with influenza see their GP, hence the number of GP consultations for influenza provides an indirect measure of the extent to which influenza is spreading throughout the community, as patients at high-risk for complications of influenza (e.g. aged 60 years and older, patients with pre-existing lung conditions and patients with diabetes) are more likely to see their GP.
Symptoms, Groups and Effects of Influenza
The influenza virus is responsible for influenza and produces multiple symptoms such as a cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, headache, body aches, and tiredness. Most individuals recover from influenza without visiting their GP. Individuals at increased risk for developing serious complications from influenza, aged 60 years and older, with pre-existing lung disease and diabetes, are at an increased risk for developing complications and may require medical assistance.
According to statistics from the Royal Australian Institute of Public Health, approximately 4,700 individuals die each year from an influenza-related illness. Hence, influenza is a serious virus that predominantly affects high-risk populations, requiring continuous health monitoring and control efforts to reduce the spread of the virus within the community.
