Social Distancing against COVID-19: Implication for the Control of Influenza

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Social distancing has been adopted as one of basic protective measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). During 2019–2020 season, influenza epidemic period was exceptionally short and epidemic peak was low in comparison with previous seasons in Korea. Influenza epidemic pattern was bimodal in 2016–2017 and 2018–2019 seasons, however, influenza viruses have rarely been circulating in spring, 2020 in Korea. Although multiple factors could affect the size of influenza epidemic, extensive application of nonpharmaceutical interventions including mask wearing and social distancing in response to COVID-19 seems to be a major factor of reduced influenza epidemic. Social distancing measures with high feasibility and high acceptability should be implemented even if severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are developed in the future.
Establishment of guideline for workplace social distancing is needed and it would contribute to reduce disease burden of influenza, especially in vaccine mismatch year.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Weekly sentinel surveillance report" 2017

2 Wölfel R, "Virological assessment of hospitalized patients with COVID-2019" 2020

3 World Health Organization, "Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)"

4 Zou L, "SARS-CoV-2 viral load in upper respiratory specimens of infected patients" 382 (382): 1177-1179, 2020

5 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Pathogens & vector surveillance weekly report" 2020

6 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Pathogen & vector surveillance weekly report" 2018

7 World Health Organization, "Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report"

8 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Korea influenza laboratory surveillance report in 2018-2019 season"

9 "Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"

10 "Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"

11 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Infectious disease portal"

12 Cowling BJ, "Impact assessment of non-pharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 and influenza in Hong Kong : an observational study" 5 (5): e279-e288, 2020

13 Ahmed F, "Effectiveness of workplace social distancing measures in reducing influenza transmission : a systematic review" 18 (18): 518-, 2018

14 Song JY, "Covid-19 in South Korea-challenges of subclinical manifestations" 382 (382): 1858-1859, 2020

15 Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Coronavirus disease 2019"

16 Qualls N, "Community mitigation guidelines to prevent pandemic influenza-United States, 2017" 66 (66): 1-34, 2017