Health Spokesperson: Influenza Has Returned Strongly After a Three-Year Absence Following the Loss of COVID Immunity

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, revealed the scientific reasons behind the recurring feeling that each winter is the "worst," with phrases like "children are getting sick more than usual," "the fever won't go away," and "the whole school is sick" circulating. He explained that winter respiratory viruses are almost the same every year, but there are clear reasons that make symptoms appear more severe and prolonged in recent years, especially since 2023.

Abdel Ghaffar stated in exclusive remarks to "Shorouk" that the main reason for the increased severity of symptoms is what is called "immunity debt," as precautionary measures during the COVID pandemic from 2020 to 2022, such as masks, social distancing, and lockdowns, reduced exposure to common respiratory viruses. He pointed out that this decrease led to a decline in natural immunity among children and adults, and when the viruses returned to spread, the symptoms became much stronger.

He noted that other factors contributed to worsening the situation, including the fact that viruses change continuously each season, slightly reducing the effectiveness of previous immunity and intensifying symptoms. Additionally, many children contract more than one virus in the same season, such as influenza followed by respiratory syncytial virus, which prolongs the illness for weeks.

He added that true influenza has returned strongly after being absent for three years, and it is originally one of the most symptomatic respiratory viruses. The decline in simple hygiene habits such as handwashing and covering the mouth when coughing has also contributed to the increased speed of virus spread within schools.

Abdel Ghaffar mentioned that the spread of anxiety on social media has inflated the sense of danger beyond the actual reality, in addition to the fact that we quickly forget the severity of the previous winter and always compare only with the prominent cases.

The health spokesperson concluded that winter has not turned into a new epidemic, but it has indeed become more challenging since 2023 due to temporary immunity weakness and some natural changes. He confirmed that, according to global studies, things are expected to return to almost normal by the winter of 2026-2027.

Abdel Ghaffar emphasized the importance of understanding the scientific reasons to deal calmly and intelligently and to avoid unwarranted anxiety, providing practical guidance for citizens, which includes getting the annual influenza vaccine, especially for children, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases, returning to proper handwashing, and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, as well as keeping the child at home for two or three days if they develop a fever or cough.