Following three weeks of falling figures more people called in their family doctor with flu symptoms last week. Figures from science health institute Sciensano reveal that flu has reached epidemic proportions.
The flu threat has not yet passed. Last week the number of people consulting their GP and getting confirmation they had flu rose above 75 per 100,000. It’s an epidemic once the 50 cases per 100,000 barrier is trashed.
“The flu season is progressing in an unexpected fashion” says virologist Steven Van Gucht. “The season started earlier in December and peaked at the end of December. There was a second peak at the end of February”.
“Last week the number of confirmed cases fell under the epidemic threshold for the first time. We were careful not to announce the end of the epidemic. For that to happen we need to stay under the threshold for two weeks in a row”.
“This year’s pattern is unusual. Today once again we are flirting with epidemic proportions”.
Prof Van Gucht believes the figures will fall again in two to three weeks’ time.
“That means we will have experienced an eleven-week flu season. That’s on the long side. On average it lasts eight to nine weeks”.