According to a report from the Office For National Statistics, approximately 1 in 6 people reported flu-like symptoms consistent with influenza-like illness (ILI), as defined by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), in the seven days prior to completing the COVID-19 and Respiratory Infections Survey (CRIS), from responses received between 2nd May and 3rd June 2023.
Respondents were more likely to report flu-like symptoms consistent with ILI if they were female, had ever smoked regularly, had a long-term health condition, or lived in a more deprived area, in the five weeks to 3rd June 2023.
Symptoms including headache, runny nose or sneezing, and fatigue were the most frequently reported in each of the six weeks to 10th June 2023, and were reported more frequently by females.
An average of approximately 1 in 6 people reported they thought they had a respiratory infection, and an average of approximately 1 in 24 people reported taking one or more days off work or education because of a respiratory infection in the 28 days prior to completing the questionnaire, from responses received between 2 May and 3 June 2023.
Infection
Respondents were more likely to take one or more days off work or education because of a flu-like respiratory infection if they were female, had a long-term health condition, lived in a more deprived area, or worked in the arts, healthcare or education sectors, in the five weeks to 3 June 2023.
The COVID-19 and Respiratory Infections Survey (CRIS) collected data on reporting respiratory infections and associated symptoms, impact on work or education attendance, and usage of healthcare services. This built on the legacy of the UK’s world-leading Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey (CIS) which had been commissioned by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Following the government’s transition to “Living with COVID-19”, and after careful consideration, CRIS formally ended on 28 June 2023.
The CRIS was set up in April 2023 (the main survey ran throughout May and early June 2023) and invited a subset of respondents from the CIS to answer questions periodically on the state of their health and their use of healthcare services.
Symptoms reported in the CRIS may provide valuable information about levels of respiratory infections, like COVID-19 and influenza, circulating among the population. It looks at the percentage of people reporting flu-like symptoms consistent with influenza-like illness (ILI) as well as other symptoms, the characteristics associated with reporting symptoms consistent with ILI, and the impact on work or education attendance and usage of healthcare services.
The results presented highlight the value of using questionnaire-based and self-reported data to monitor and analyse reporting respiratory infections and associated symptoms, and their impact on work or education attendance and usage of healthcare services.
Analysis
To make estimates representative of the population, weighting was applied to analyses for the percentage of people reporting symptoms consistent with ILI, the percentage of people reporting they thought they had a respiratory infection, and the percentage of people reporting taking one or more days off work or education because of a respiratory infection. Respondents were those living in private households, and symptoms and respiratory infections were self-reported.
This analysis looks at the levels of self-reported symptoms consistent with ILI as defined by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in the seven days prior to completing the questionnaire.
Symptoms consistent with ILI, as defined by the ECDC, include at least one of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Myalgia
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath
An average of approximately 1 in 6 people reported symptoms consistent with ILI in the seven days prior to completing the questionnaire, from responses received between 2nd May and 2nd June 2023.
Australia
Meanwhile in Australia, about 69% of people admitted to hospital with confirmed influenza since April are children aged below 16. Yet just 22% of children aged between six months to five years – and 13% of children aged five to 16 – are vaccinated against influenza nationally. This compares with 61% of those aged 65 and above. More than 137,000 infections have been recorded across the country this year, as of 3 July, with the highest numbers being reported in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
See also: Covid Enquiry Says Government Got It “Completely Wrong”
