• Khee-Siang Chan, Fu-Wen Liang, Hung-Jen Tang, Han Siong Toh, and Wen-Liang Yu.
• Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
• Med Clin (Barc). 2020 Sep 25; 155 (6): 249-253.

PurposeInfluenza virus infection is associated with a high disease burden. COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a pandemic outbreak since January 2020. Taiwan has effectively contained COVID-19 community transmission. We aimed to validate whether fighting COVID-19 could help to control other respiratory infections in Taiwan.MethodWe collected week-case data of severe influenza, invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae disease and death toll from pneumonia among 25 calendar weeks of the influenza season for four years (2016-2020), which were reported to Taiwan CDC. Trend and slope differences between years were compared.ResultA downturn trend of severe influenza, invasive S. pneumoniae disease and the death toll from pneumonia per week in 2019/2020 season and significant trend difference in comparison to previous seasons were noted, especially after initiation of several disease prevention measures to fight potential COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan.ConclusionsFighting COVID-19 achieved collateral benefits on significant reductions of severe influenza burden, invasive S. pneumoniae disease activity, and the death toll from pneumonia reported to CDC in Taiwan.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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