When you make a toast to good health this New Year’s Eve, spare a thought for those who have been hit hard by “an unseasonal surge” in respiratory infections, COVID-19 and influenza.
The latest available weekly totals for the Sunshine Coast show 73 lab-confirmed influenza cases for the week commencing December 11, 87 (December 4) and 60 (November27).
Those numbers were well up on the 34 for the week commencing November 20.
COVID-19 cases on the Sunshine Coast totalled 166 (the week commencing December 11), 176 (December 4), 176 (November27) and 154 (November 20).
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Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said the recent increase in hospitalisations due to respiratory infection was unusual for this time of year.
He urged Queenslanders to prioritise good hygiene habits.
“There are currently 322 patients in Queensland hospitals with COVID-19 and 66 patients in hospital with influenza,” Dr Gerrard said in the lead-up to Christmas Day.
“The number of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 started climbing in mid-October, plateaued throughout November, and then took a surprising turn upwards again in December.
“The current number of Queenslanders in hospital with COVID-19 is more than four times higher than mid-October.
“While influenza hospitalisations remain far below their winter peak (more than 400), their summer rise is still unusual.”
In one week in mid-December throughout the state, 2162 cases of COVID-19 and 836 cases of influenza were recorded.
Overall, there has been more than 73,000 influenza cases recorded this year, far exceeding the 2022 total of 44,431.
Dr Gerrard added that the number of tests coming back positive for Mycoplasma had also tripled since the end of November.
Mycoplasma is a bacteria (or germ) that can infect different parts of the body, including the lungs, skin or urinary tract. But because mycoplasma do not have cell walls, some antibiotics such as penicillin won’t work against them.
“We have not seen significant numbers of cases of Mycoplasma infection since before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr Gerrard said.
“The increase in cases corresponds with similar recent experiences in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Dr Gerrard suggested the current respiratory infection rate rise was likely due to two factors – the rise in gatherings ahead of Christmas and the influx of travellers from interstate and overseas.
“I urge everyone, especially during upcoming festive gatherings, to practice good hand hygiene habits and stay away from vulnerable friends and relatives if you are sick,” he said.
“Older adults and young children are especially vulnerable to respiratory infections, so it’s important we protect our loved ones this festive season by staying home when we are sick.”
Dr Gerrard also reminded Queenslanders over 65 to get a COVID-19 booster if they had not had one this year.
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