Flu 2022: NSW is the Australian state with the highest number of flu cases so far

One state accounts for more than half of Australia’s reported flu cases this year. See how your state compares.

NSW has recorded three times the number of confirmed flu cases than any other state so far this year, national disease surveillance figures reveal.

The state accounted for more than 100,000 of the 187,431 notifications of influenza to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) up to July 3.

The fortnightly Australian Influenza Surveillance Report shows the state and territory breakdown of flu cases to date. They include:

•NSW – 100,851 notifications.

•Victoria – 33,342 notifications.

•Queensland – 32,231 notifications.

•South Australia – 7346 notifications.

•Western Australia – 4618 notifications,

•Northern Territory – 4569 notifications.

•ACT – 2394 notifications.

•Tasmania – 2080 notifications.

On a per-capita basis, the influenza notification rate has been highest in the Northern Territory (1854.8 per 100,000 population) and New South Wales (1231.5 per 100,000 population).

In the year to date there had been 113 influenza-associated deaths reported to the NNDSS.

“All deaths were associated with influenza A, of which 83 per cent were influenza A (unsubtyped), 16 per cent were influenza A (H3N2), and 1 per cent were Influenza A (H1N1),” the report states.

“The median age of deaths notified was 84 years (range: 6–98 years).”

Flu has hit NSW hard this year.

However the report noted that the number of influenza-associated deaths reported to the NNDSS did not represent the true mortality associated with the disease.

“The number of deaths is reliant on the follow up of cases to determine the outcome of their infection,” the report says.

“The follow up of cases is not a requirement of notification, and are only inclusive of laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza.”

Since seasonal surveillance of Australian influenza cases started in April this year, there have been 1323 people admitted to hospital due to confirmed influenza, of which 86 were admitted directly to an intensive care unit.

Aussies have been urged to voluntarily mask up and work from home if sick to avoid the flu, common cold, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid, which is on the rise around the country.

An emergency meeting of national cabinet was convened by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the weekend to address the spiralling Covid cases and rising pressures on hospitals. Cases are expected to peak in August.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces the Australians will be able to access the $750 Covid isolation payments until September 30. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The latest national Covid report showed there were 43,491 new cases in the 24 hour prior to July 15, bringing the estimated number of active cases to 328,080. The death toll stands at 10,582.

Mr Albanese came to agreement with state and territory leaders to reverse the original end date for pandemic leave payments for casual workers who get Covid and need to isolate.

The $750 leave disaster payment scheme will be reinstated until September 30, with the cost to be split 50-50 between the Commonwealth and states and territories. The payment cut off had been set by the former Morrison government for June 30.

Mr Albanese said crisis payments for people on income support payments or study allowances who were affected by isolation requirements would also be reinstated.

He said a new telehealth Medicare item would also be created by next week to allow GPs extra time with patients to determine their suitability for oral Covid antiviral treatments.

The Australian Medical Association welcomed the new telehealth item for Covid antiviral management and to reinstate pandemic leave but says much more is needed to avoid negative health outcomes in the current Covid wave.

AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid. Picture: Alex Treacy

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said on Saturday after the national cabinet meeting that there were many other telephone Medicare items dropped by the Federal Government on July 1 which had left vulnerable people at risk.

“It is pleasing to see that the government is listening to medical and community concerns regarding these important Covid-related measures,” he said.

“However, today’s decisions don’t address the needs of vulnerable Australians with other medical needs, who need access to longer consultations by telephone during this surging Covid pandemic.”

Dr Khorshid said vulnerable patients, including those without access to high bandwidth internet and those who couldn’t operate the necessary IT systems, were hit hardest by having the telephone items removed.

“The AMA met with the Minister for Health, Mark Butler yesterday {Friday) and we made it very clear that full access to telephone telehealth is critical during the pandemic and is a very reasonable way to conduct many medical consultations even outside a pandemic,” he said.

“We will continue to push the minister and the government to reinstate the very reasonable Covid settings for telehealth until they are no longer needed. We also agreed with the minister to continue discussions around the long-term place for telehealth in our health system.

“Government needs to make sure it is listening to the voices of people who know about the crisis in our health system — patients, doctors, nurses and their families.

“Telehealth has become a critical tool to help us cope with this crisis and the attitude of bureaucrats and bean counters to telehealth has to be balanced with the lived experience of Australians and health care workers.”