Reports of respiratory infections made to PHE from PHE and NHS laboratories in England and Wales: weeks 46 to 49, 2020
Updated 3 March 2021
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Weekly National Influenza and COVID-19 Surveillance reports
Read the latest weekly National flu and COVID-19 surveillance report.
Laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections (non COVID-19)
Data are recorded by week of report, but include only specimens taken in the past 8 weeks (recent specimens).
Table 1. Reports of influenza infection made to PHE Colindale, by week of report
| Week | Week 46 | Week 47 | Week 48 | Week 48 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week ending | 15/11/2020 | 22/11/2020 | 29/11/2020 | 6/12/2020 | |
| Influenza A | 13 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 62 |
| Isolation | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Direct Immunofluorescence | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| PCR | 12 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 57 |
| Other* | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| Influenza B | 66 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 120 |
| Isolation | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Direct Immunofluorescence | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| PCR | 66 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 116 |
| Other* | – | – | – | – | 0 |
* ‘Antibody detection – single high titre’ or ‘Method not specified’.
Table 2. Respiratory viral detections by any method (culture, direct immunofluorescence, PCR, single high serology titre, genomic), by week of report
| Week | Week 46 | Week 47 | Week 48 | Week 48 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week ending | 15/11/2020 | 22/11/2020 | 29/11/2020 | 6/12/2020 | |
| Adenovirus* | 28 | 36 | 39 | 52 | 155 |
| Coronavirus** | 4 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 43 |
| Parainfluenza*** | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 23 |
| Rhinovirus | 215 | 203 | 218 | 210 | 846 |
| Respiratory syncytial virus | 224 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 241 |
* Respiratory samples only.
** Seasonal coronavirus only. Does not include SARS-CoV-2.
*** Includes parainfluenza types 1, 2, 3, 4 and untyped.
Table 3. Respiratory viral detections by age group: weeks 46 to 49, 2020
| Age group (years) | <1 year | 1-4 years | 5-14 years | 15-44 years | 45-64 years | ≥65 years | Unknown | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adenovirus* | 29 | 73 | 8 | 21 | 12 | 12 | – | 155 |
| Coronavirus** | 1 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 7 | – | 43 |
| Influenza A | 1 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 66 |
| Influenza B | 3 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 13 | 34 | 2 | 124 |
| Parainfluenza*** | 3 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | – | 23 |
| Respiratory syncytial virus | 10 | 10 | 6 | 76 | 54 | 83 | 2 | 241 |
| Rhinovirus | 182 | 331 | 134 | 87 | 38 | 74 | – | 846 |
* Respiratory samples only.
** Seasonal coronavirus only. Does not include SARS-CoV-2.
*** Includes parainfluenza types 1, 2, 3, 4 and untyped.
Table 4. Laboratory reports of infections associated with atypical pneumonia, by week of report
| Week | Week 46 | Week 47 | Week 48 | Week 48 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week ending | 15/11/2020 | 22/11/2020 | 29/11/2020 | 6/12/2020 | |
| Coxiella burnettii | – | – | – | – | 0 |
| Respiratory Chlamydia sp.* | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | 5 |
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
* Includes Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia sp detected from blood, serum and respiratory specimens.
Legionnaires’ disease cases in England and Wales
Read the latest Legionnaires’ disease monthly surveillance reports: 2020.