Europe is facing an unusually early flu epidemic together with rising cases of other respiratory viruses, the World Health Organization has warned.
A joint statement by Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for health and food safety, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri P Kluge and Dr Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said these, coupled with the treat of COVID-19, will impact health services and populations.
They said the increasing circulation of influenza and RSV, plus COVID-19, means it is important for vulnerable groups to get vaccinated and for everyone to protect themselves and others from infections.
“We are already seeing influenza viruses (A and B) circulating in different parts of the region,” they write.
“While circulating among all age-groups and particularly in children of school-age, influenza A viruses usually cause severe disease mostly for older people and those with chronic conditions.”
In the European region, an influenza epidemic is declared after influenza cases are higher than baseline/in the summer months – more than 10% of patients with respiratory symptoms who go to selected doctors and are tested are confirmed as having influenza virus infections) – over two consecutive weeks.
Using this definition, they say the 2022-2023 epidemic started in the week beginning 7 November and was declared in the week beginning 21 November.
They said hospital admissions for flu have increased since October, with people aged 55 years and older accounting for almost half of reported hospital admissions.
In 23 countries reporting Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) data, hospitalised patients have been diagnosed mostly with type B viruses (85%), with children aged four years and younger being the most often affected.
RSV has also been on the rise since October, with 20 countries and areas experiencing increasing case numbers.
Although COVID-19 case rates, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and death rates are now low compared to the past 12 months, they warn this could change as new variants emerge.
“With the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the circulation and health impact of other respiratory pathogens, it is challenging to predict how the new winter period will develop,” they said.
“In view of this, we cannot afford to become complacent. We must step up vaccination programmes and preparedness measures across the region. The need to protect our populations’ health, especially the most vulnerable, is as strong as ever.”
They urge all countries in the European region to monitor SARS-CoV-2 as well as how influenza and RSV viruses are spreading and affecting people and health care systems.
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