Journal of travel medicine
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Human mobility changed in unprecedented ways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In March and April 2020, when lockdowns and large travel restrictions began in most countries, global air-travel almost entirely halted (92% decrease in commercial global air travel in the months between February and April 2020). Initial recovery in global air travel started around July 2020 and subsequently nearly tripled between May and July 2021. Here, we aim to establish a preliminary link between global mobility patterns and the synchrony of SARS-CoV-2 epidemic waves across the world. ⋯ This suggests that the rebound in human mobility dictates the synchrony of global and regional epidemic waves. In line with theoretical work, we show that in a more connected world, epidemic dynamics are more synchronized.
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We report an off-season surge of influenza A infections among children in Qatar coinciding with the relaxation of COVID-19 related social restrictions and the normalization of international travel. The unusual surge may be related to population waning immunity after a prolonged reduced influenza A activity in Qatar.