Whole of Australia impacted by ‘perfect storm’ this flu season

A “perfect storm” has sent cases of a highly contagious virus soaring in Australia, with one state on the brink of a seven-year record high.

Millions of Australians are bracing for a “perfect storm” this flu season with one sunny state on the brink of a seven year record-breaking high in hospitalisations.

More than 270,000 cases of influenza have been confirmed from the start of the year until August 2, according to government data compiled by the Immunisation Coalition.

NSW reported the most cases, with a whopping 140,978 cases as influenza remained at a high level in August, while Queensland was on track for a record breaking year.

Almost 47,000 people in the Sunshine State tested positive result for influenza so far this year and eight per cent, or more than 4000, were admitted to hospital.

That number has already eclipsed the total number of hospitalisations reported in all of 2019 by about 1000 cases and is nearing the worst year on record: 2017 with 6079 hospitalisations.

Immunisation Coalition Infectious Disease Expert Robert Booy said while Queensland was particularly affected, “the whole of Australia is impacted”.

“We’ve actually had an almost perfect storm, where not only flu has surged but also other viruses like RSV and human metapneumovirus,” he said.

“That can be explained by the fact there was a drop in infections and a resurgence due to waning immunity and due to increased mixing.”

Professor Robert Booy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Professor Robert Booy said Australians had become more susceptible to influenza following Covid because of social distancing.

Critically, as peak season subsides he added that many people had become complacent about immunisations for influenza.

“The season is starting to wane, but that means that there are still a lot of people catching infection right now,” he said.

“Even vaccination now in August can be beneficial, and because people haven’t availed themselves of protection.”

Professor Booy he expected the “moderately bad year” to start to track down throughout August and into September, the typical end of the flue season.

Nonetheless, he said many school age children and older people most at risk from influenza stood to benefit from more people being immunised.

In its most recent report ending July 28, the federal government found influenza A was the most commonly detected respiratory illness in all states across the country.

The flu beat out both RSV and Covid, with 195,162 cases of Covid reported to the NNDSS, or National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, so far this year.

The worst hit states according to the Immunisation Coalition were NSW with almost 150,000 cases this year, followed by Queensland and then Victoria.

NSW

The number of influenza cases in NSW declined in the week ending August 3 but remained at a high level, according to the NSW Department of Health.

Government data reveals more than 6300 people tested positive for the flu that week, representing a decrease of 20 per cent from the week before.

It comes after cases skyrocketed in July with more than 16,000 positive results being returned to just about 8000 the same time last year.

Children aged as old as four were the largest demographic, with the Western Sydney Local Health District returned the most results.

Queensland

In the Sunshine State, 7142 people tested positive for influenza in the week ending August 11 – a further 7282 the previous week.

State government data reported of those cases 254 people were admitted to hospital, largely in the Brisbane metro area.

So far this year, at least 4600 people have been admitted because of influenza, more than 1200 of which in Brisbane.

Victoria

Victoria reported a total of 51,668 cases of influenza so far this year as of reporting dated August 12.

South Australia

South Australia had reported more than 1000 additional cases of influenza so far this year until August 9 than during the same time last year.

In the week ending August 9, the SA government reported 1,286 cases of the flu, with the number of cases so far this year hitting 13,168.

Tasmania

Influenza activity was at a moderate but decreasing level in Tasmania in the week ending August 4 with “widespread circulation in the community”.

In that week, 203 people notified as having been positive for influenza, or about 35.4 people per 100,000 in the island state.

Western Australia

Western Australia reported an increase influenza and influenza-like illnesses in the week ending July 28.

During that week, the number of cases notified to the Department of Health increased by 19 per cent to 969 cases and “remained above the seasonal threshold”.

Nonetheless, year-to-date the number of influenza notifications and deaths were lower than the previous five year average while hospitalisations were higher.

ACT

A total of 303 people reported being positive for influenza between August 2-8, with some 3533 people throughout the year.

Originally published as Whole of Australia impacted by ‘perfect storm’ this flu season