Johannesburg - The Covid-19 pandemic might be subsiding in South Africa with the majority of restrictions being lifted, but the 2022 cold and influenza (flu) season is currently well under way in the country.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) told The Saturday Star this week that officially it started in South Africa in April, and based on current projections it is expected to end by August.
“Based on surveillance data that we collected from participating sentinel hospital sites for the pneumonia surveillance conducted by NICD, the influenza season started in week 17 ( week starting April 25, 2022),” Dr Sibongile Walaza said.
“It is not possible to tell in advance when the season will end, but in the 10 years prior to 2020 which was the start of Covid-19 pandemic, the average duration of the influenza season has been 19 weeks,” she said.
Walaza added that to date, the predominant strain is influenza A (H1N1) pdm 09 with co-circulation of influenza A(H3N2) and influenza B Victoria.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Pharma Dynamics spokesperson Nicole Jennings added that to date, 377 influenza cases have been reported.
“There has been an increase in the number of cases reported in the past five weeks,” she said.
Jennings said that the majority of cases were reported from Gauteng, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Mpumalanga, the North West province, the Eastern Cape and then the Free State and Limpopo.
She added that to date, 765 respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases have been detected.
“The 2022 RSV season started in week seven (February 14) and the good news is that the detection rate has been decreasing since week 18, and in week 24, RSV activity among children aged above five years was below the threshold,” she said.
Jennings explained that RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) among young children.
“It is highly contagious and infection with RSV does not result in permanent or long-term immunity and re-infections can occur,” she said.
As the novel Coronavirus spread after erupting in South Africa in early 2020, colds and flu rates were significantly reduced through lockdown restrictions as well as non-pharmaceutical measures such as mask wearing, social distancing and regular hand washing, but this is now not necessarily the case.
“As restrictions eased, flu cases started to follow the same trajectory as before Covid-19.
“The case is the same with regards to the RSV season, which usually precedes the influenza season (starting at the end of February to mid-March) over the last 10 years.
“Since the start of the pandemic, with health measures in place to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, RSV circulation has been disrupted, with fewer cases and out of season outbreaks reported,” Jennings said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Walaza.
“We did not have an influenza season in 2020 and 2021, although we did have a period of increased influenza transmission during the spring which is outside the normal period of the season,” she said.
Walaza added that people of all ages can get colds and the flu, however, there are certain risk groups or severe influenza illness and complications such as the very young ( under the age of two), very old ( over the age of 65 years), pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
Jennings agreed and added that those with underlying chronic conditions have suppressed immune systems and are likely to experience more severe colds and flu symptoms.
“Many chronic diseases are caused by unhealthy habits, which include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not getting enough sleep, consuming too much sugar and unhealthy food, and not exercising enough.
“‘The healthier we are, the better our bodies are able to fight and fend off infection,” she said.
During the colds and flu season, Jennings urged South Africans to adhere to practices that were in place during the pandemic such as social distancing and regular hand washing.
“If they continue to follow these precautions, we could see a lower number of colds and flu cases than previous years,” she said.
Jennings added that the pandemic has caused many to take better care of their health by eating correctly and exercising more regularly, as well as taking health supplements to boost their immunity.
“The healthier you are and the better you take care of your immune system, the less likely you are to fall ill,” she said.
Walaza agreed with Jennings and added that those who are symptomatic for colds and the flu should limit close contact with others and are encouraged to stay at home until the fever has resolved.
“Symptomatic individuals (are encouraged) to wear a mask in public spaces or if in contact with others,” she said.
They both also stressed the importance of getting the flu vaccine.
They said Influenza vaccines remain the primary means of preventing seasonal influenza infection.
Jennings also urged those who are older than 65 or who have pre-existing health conditions to get the flu vaccine.
“Anyone with a weakened or compromised immune system should also get it,” she said.