Anti-COVID Steps Are Preventing Other Diseases Too, Says WHO Report

As the number of coronavirus cases across the world peaked month after month in 2020, several corrective measures have come up against the disease.

Highlighted in a new survey, these measures turned out to have another benefit altogether, completely unrelated to COVID-19.

(Representative Image: Reuters)

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A recent report by the World Health Organisation maps the influenza season this year. The report highlights a rapid drop in the cases of influenza across several regions of the world this year. The reason is being credited to the numerous hygiene and physical distancing measures being followed worldwide by the majority population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its report, WHO mentions - ¡°The various hygiene and physical distancing measures implemented by Member States to reduce SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission have likely played a role in reducing influenza virus transmission.¡±

The influenza drop

To come to this conclusion, the report maps the cases of influenza across the influenza transmission zones. These zones are geographical groups of countries, areas or territories that showcase similar influenza transmission patterns.

The report takes into consideration the change in behaviour of people across the world in seeking medical advice during the pandemic. For this, WHO highlights the drop in the positive cases among those who got tested for the flu, despite continued ¡°or even increased¡± testing for influenza in some countries.

Citing the drop in numbers, WHO found out that the influenza activity was ¡°at lower levels than expected for this time of the year¡± across the globe. The fact holds for both the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere as well as the northern hemisphere. While the influenza season has not even started in the former this year, WHO reported below inter-seasonal levels of influenza activity in the northern hemisphere.

The trend has been experienced across the Caribbean and Central American countries, tropical South America, tropical Africa, Southern Asia and SouthEast Asia. WHO reported seasonal influenza B virus as the majority of detections among the low number of cases reported.

Social distancing works

(Representative Image)

Since the number of cases have seen a remarkable drop this year, the only reason that comes to light is the anti-transmission measures being followed with the ongoing pandemic.

Since both the influenza and the coronavirus act through human-to-human transmission through respiratory droplets, counter measures are similar for the two. The world can hence accredit the new practices with several benefits apart from the one stopping COVID-19 transmission.

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