Covid lockdown: England sees fewer cases of colds, flu, and bronchitis
Gareth Iacobucci
Abstract
Covid lockdown: England sees fewer cases of colds, flu, and bronchitis Gareth IacobucciCases of common cold, flu, and other respiratory diseases in England are substantially lower than average for this time of year, GP surveillance data show.The Royal College of General Practitioners, which published the figures, derived from data from 500 practices across England, 1 said that lockdown and physical distancing measures to prevent the spread of covid-19 were the probable cause of the trend.But although there were fewer respiratory diseases and other viral infections for this time of year than in previous years, the college said that since lockdown measures have eased recorded rates of illnesses such as the common cold have begun to rise as more people start to return to their general practice seeking medical treatment.