COVID-19, Flu Cases Drop by 24% in Luxembourg

According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Health and Social Security, the number of both flu and COVID-19 cases dropped during week 10, i.e. from Monday 4 to Sunday 10 March 2024.

The ministry publishes a weekly retrospective report which provides a summary of the evolution of acute respiratory infections, including COVID-19, influenza (influenza virus) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The latest report highlighted the following trends for week 10: a decrease in the number of cases and the positivity rate of COVID-19; a decrease in the number of flu cases; the number of RSV cases stabilised at a low level.

COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2

The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 fell from 42 to 32 over one week, representing a decrease of 24%. The positivity rate dropped from 2.6% to 2.3%. The viral concentration detected in wastewater also decreased. These indicators suggest that the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing.

The latest available sequencing data showed the dominance of the JN.1 variant (86.7%), followed by the BA.2.86 variant (11.1%). The ministry noted that the JN.1 variant (a descendant of the BA.2.86 variant) has been dominant since week 47 of 2023.

Influenza

The number of cases of influenza (flu) reported by laboratories dropped from 206 to 157 over one week, i.e. a decrease of 24%.

Respiratory syncytial virus

The number of cases of RSV reported by laboratories increased slightly from eleven to thirteen over one week. Given the low numbers, this weekly variation shows a stabilisation of the number of RSV cases at a low level, according to the ministry. The peak of the epidemic this season was reached in week 50 from 11 to 17 December 2023.

The ministry also confirmed that it would stop publishing its weekly reports on respiratory infections from Thursday 14 March 2024. Publication could resume in future depending on the evolution of the situation.