Flu Cases In Japan Remain Far Lower Than Before Coronavirus Pandemic
The number of confirmed cases of influenza in Japan so far this season has remained much lower than levels usually observed before the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020.
The health ministry says it received reports of only 97 flu cases from about 5,000 medical institutions nationwide during the seven-day period through last Sunday.
That's a small fraction of the numbers normally reported during the same period before the pandemic.
But Toho University Professor Tateda Kazuhiro is advising people to be vigilant for a possible simultaneous resurgence in cases of the flu and COVID-19.
The infectious disease expert says people should maintain anti-virus measures as flu outbreaks have occurred in some other countries this year.
Australia's health department says it confirmed more than 225,000 flu cases from the start of this year through October 9. It says 308 people died.
The numbers are much higher than the 550 cases and no deaths reported during a similar period last year.
Health officials and experts ascribe the surge to the lifting of anti-coronavirus regulations such as lockdowns and masking.
They added that people's immunity to the flu virus had weakened as a result of less exposure over the last two years.
Australian state authorities have offered flu vaccines for free. But only about 40 percent of the population aged six months or older have received shots this season.