Period Prevalence of COVID-19 and Influenza Symptoms in 2022 Among Adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND

Seasonal influenza and the circulating new variants of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were predicted to increase the risk of developing respiratory symptoms in 2022. The objective of this study was to estimate the period prevalence of respiratory symptoms associated with COVID-19 and influenza among adults in 2022.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study targeted adults in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Data collection was performed in February 2023 and utilized an online approach. The assessment was performed via a self-administered questionnaire, which measured demographics, vaccination practices against COVID-19 and influenza, and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms in 2022.

RESULTS

This study involved 625 participants, 65% of whom were women with a mean age of 23 years. Only 80 participants (13%) reported receiving the influenza vaccine in 2022. The most frequently reported symptoms were headache (55%), sore throat (43.7%), and fever (43%). Nearly 34% were diagnosed with influenza, 17% were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 8% reported coinfection of both diseases. Sixty-one percent reported the occurrence of symptoms more than once in 2022. The presence of a higher frequency of respiratory symptoms was associated with gender, age, social status, employment, asthma, and obesity (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

A majority of the participants reported multiple occurrences of respiratory symptoms in 2022. The uptake of the influenza vaccine was low in the same year, suggesting a need for a targeted approach to enhance vaccination rates among vulnerable groups.