Impact of the COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical interventions on influenza and other respiratory viral infections in New Zealand.
Q Sue HuangTim WoodLauren JelleyTineke JenningsSarah JefferiesKaren DaniellsAnnette NesdaleTony DowellNikki TurnerPriscilla Campbell-StokesMichelle BalmHazel C DobinsonCameron C GrantShelley JamesNayyereh AminisaniJacqui RalstonWendy GunnJudy BocacaoJessica DanielewiczTessa MoncrieffAndrea McNeillLiza LopezBen WaiteTomasz KiedrzynskiHannah SchraderRebekah GrayKayla CookDanielle CurrinChaune EngelbrechtWhitney TapurauLeigh EmmertonMaxine MartinMichael G BakerSusan TaylorAdrian TrenholmeConroy WongShirley LawrenceColin McArthurAlicia StanleySally RobertsFahimeh RahnamaJenny BennettChris MansellMeik DilcherAnja WernoJennifer GrantAntje van der LindenBenjamin A YoungbloodPaul Glyndwr Thomasnull nullRichard J WebbyPublished in: Nature communications (2021)
Stringent nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and border closures are not currently recommended for pandemic influenza control. New Zealand used these NPIs to eliminate coronavirus disease 2019 during its first wave. Using multiple surveillance systems, we observed a parallel and unprecedented reduction of influenza and other respiratory viral infections in 2020. This finding supports the use of these NPIs for controlling pandemic influenza and other severe respiratory viral threats.