Between 6 and 12 January, 94 people per 100,000 inhabitants consulted their GP in Belgium for flu complaints such as fever, cough, muscle aches and fatigue.
While this still means that flu activity remains below the epidemic threshold, it is still nearly triple that of the week before, which saw only 34 people per 100,000 consult a doctor.
The epidemic threshold is reached for 153 consultations per 100,000 inhabitants for at least two consecutive weeks and when at least 20% of respiratory samples after analysis by Sciensano prove positive for a flu virus, according to Belga.
The Superior Health Council advises people to get vaccinated for the flu until mid-December, but as long as the peak for the number of flu cases has not reached the epidemic threshold, vaccination is still useful, according to Sciensano
The Brussels Times
