Economy 31 October 2024, 5:48pm

National holiday brings 'relief' to respiratory infections in Hungary

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Some 172,700 Hungarians sought medical help with acute respiratory infections (ARI), including more than 17,000 people with influenza-like symptoms on the 43rd week of 2024, according to report released by the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy (NNGYK) on Thursday instead of next Monday. In terms of ARI per 100,000 population, the situation is worse than a year ago, but slightly better than in 2022/23, while in terms of flu-like symptoms per 100,000 people this has been the worst of the past 14 'flu seasons' so far. More than 150 people had to be hospitalised with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), a third of them with COVID-19.

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On the 43rd week of 2024 (21-27 October), 172,200 people turned to the doctor with acute respiratory infections, including 17,100 people with flu-like symptoms, according to data by the National Centre for Public Health and Pharmacy (NNGYK). The former figure dropped from 201,00 on the 42nd week, while the latter fell from 20,100.

Note that the improvement in the epidemiological data owes to the fact that 23 October was a national holiday in Hungary, i.e. it was effectively a shortened week, with one less working day.

The report for the 44th week is also expected to show favourable figures for this week will also be shortened by a national holiday, namely 1 November which is All Saints' Day.

A short-term comparison (for the last three seasons of respiratory illnesses) shows that the number of patients with ARI was slightly higher in 2022/23, but lower a year ago, while the number of people seeking medical help with flu-like symptoms remains higher than in the previous two seasons.

The share of flu-like symptoms in ARI edged down to 9.9% on the 43rd week from 10.0% on the 42nd week, but all of the weekly ratios were the highest ratios in the past three seasons.

We also have data for ARIs and flu-like symptoms per 100,000 population, although a long-term data series is available only for the latter.

in terms of ari, the situation is worse than a year ago, but slightly better than in 2022/23, while in terms of flu-like symptoms this season of respiratory illnesses is worse than any of the past 14 seasons.

In the current flu-season, the surveillance service monitors the occurrence of influenza-like illnesses and acute respiratory infections based on data provided by 1,304 general practitioners and general paediatricians, which is the lowest figure in the NNGYK's publicly available database. The trend is not reassuring (see chart below).

A total of 250 samples were tested on the 43rd week (down from 316 a week earlier), of which 55 came back COVID-19 positive (down from 77), i.e. they detected coronavirus in 22% of the samples, which compares with 29.8% a year ago, although at that time only 218 samples were tested, of which 65 showed the presence of SARS-CoV-2. (The 43rd week last year was also a shorter one due to the 23 Oct national holiday.)

155 people with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) were hospitalised on the 43rd week, of whom 10 (or 6.5%) required intensive care. The respective figures for the 43rd week of 2023 were 153 people in hospital, and 20 (13.1%) in ICUs.

Further breakdown shows that 52 people (34% of SARI patients) were hospitalised with coronavirus infection, down from 92 a week ago and fewer than 113 (73.9%) a year ago.

Of the 153 people in hospital with SARI, 28 (18.3%) were aged two or younger, while 75 (49%) were 60 and above. Also, 39 (75%) of the 52 COVID-19 patients were over 60 years of age.

A year ago, of the 153 people in hospital with SARI, 21 (13.7%) were aged two or younger, while 97 (63.4%) were 60 or older. Also, 87 (77%) of the 113 COVID-19 patients were over 60 years of age.

The age breakdown of people seeking medical help with ARI and flu-like symptoms are shown below, including a comparison with data a year ago.

The majority of ARI patients belonged in the 0-14 age group throughout the 'flu season' last year, while the share of people going to the doctor with flu-like symptoms was the highest in the 15-34 age group up to the 2nd week of this year when the youngest were in majority until the 40th week bar a couple of weeks towards the end. You fund a heat map in our previous article here.