Nearly 300 flu cases in early 2020, just seven cases since mid-April: NT Health

SURGING numbers of flu cases in the first several months of 2020 dropped to a mere handful after coronavirus restrictions came into force. SEE THE STATISTICS>>>

ONLY seven cases of flu have been reported in the Northern Territory since mid-April, dramatically reversing a raging flu epidemic of almost 300 cases earlier in 2020.

Despite restrictions easing in the Territory, the Australian Association NT predicts a lack of international travel will mean comparatively fewer cases of influenza in coming months.

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NT Health has revealed there have been 301 flu cases confirmed in laboratories since the start of 2020, but only seven cases have been reported mid-April.

There were 294 influenza cases between January and the onset of lockdown and social distancing measures in mid-April.

That compares to 212 cases reported across the Territory throughout the whole of 2018 and a whopping 1,549 in 2019.

One person has died from the flu in 2020, compared to five deaths in 2019 during what NT Health called a “very big flu season.”

There have been no deaths from COVID-19 in the NT since the pandemic began and only 34 positive cases of the novel virus.

The flu is considered less contagious than COVID-19. Picture: File.

The drop in flu cases is most likely due to increased social distancing, with the CDC in the United States saying that “COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu.”

Measures that combat the spread of the coronavirus are therefore even more effective at hitting flu transmission.

AMA NT president Dr Robert Parker said this has resulted in a dramatic drop in cases.

‘With all the social distancing and lack of travel has significantly reduced the ability of the virus to replicate,” Dr Parker said.

He said the high number of cases could’ve been because of continued travel both internationally and interstate, as well as the “tail-end” of last year’s rough flu season.

“Maybe there was just a few more travellers in the Territory.”

Dr Parker said the extremely low number of flu cases since April was not surprising.

“All the issues that encourage the flu virus – travel and close proximity – aren’t around,” he said.

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With international travel bans likely to stay in place for months to come, Dr Parker also predicted milder flu seasons.

“People coming back from Europe with the flu – that’s going to be far less,” he said.

“I would anticipate that the flu epidemic this year is going to be – famous last words – very limited.”