Seasonal Influenza Activity During the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak in Japan

Abstract

Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak began, measures for avoiding disease transmission have been widely promoted in Japan, such as use of masks and handwashing, remote work, and cancellation of large events. If effective, these measures may also reduce the spread of other infectious diseases, such as seasonal influenza. We compared the weekly influenza activity in the 2019/2020 season vs 5 previous seasons.