Corona is responsible for the increase in flu cases, shocking revelations in research:

Research on flu: A team of British scientists has found that the long-term restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic created a situation of 'immunity debt' in people, due to which a change is now being seen in the way the flu spreads across the world.

Decline in flu and respiratory illnesses

When people are not exposed to diseases for a long time, their body's immune system (the ability to fight diseases) becomes weak. This is called 'immunity debt'. This means that now people become more susceptible to even common infections. During the Covid pandemic, countries around the world adopted strict precautions like lockdown, social distancing, wearing masks and travel ban. These measures helped in preventing Covid, but at the same time a very sharp decline was also seen in the cases of flu and other respiratory diseases. But now after Covid, there has been a sudden sharp increase in flu cases all over the world.

It is important to promote flu vaccination - Daniel Prieto-Alhambra

Researchers say that due to 'immunity debt', there may be major outbreaks of flu in the coming years, because now people's immunity has decreased and they have become more vulnerable to getting infected by other viruses. Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra of Oxford University said, "Our study has made it clear that due to not being exposed to flu in the last few years, people's immune system has become weak, and now the infection is spreading very fast. The relief is that strategies exist to reduce its impact and it is important to promote flu vaccination."

This study has been published in a journal called Advanced Science. In this, flu-related data from 116 countries from 2012 to 2024 was analyzed. It was found that during the restrictions of Kovid, there was an average decline of 46 percent in flu cases. But as soon as the restrictions were lifted in 2022, flu cases increased by an average of 132% in the same winter season.

More cases of flu in areas where strict restrictions are imposed

Researchers also reported that countries that imposed strict restrictions during Covid later witnessed a greater surge in flu cases. Therefore, scientists have urged health departments to plan for future pandemics keeping in mind the threat of 'immunity debt'.