tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Immun Inflamm Dis
. 2026 Nov;14(11):e70605.
doi: 10.1002/iid3.70605.
Hao Dang 1 , Xiujuan Peng 1 , Li Xu 1 , Wei Wang 2 , Ping Tang 2
Affiliations Expand
Objective: To characterize the epidemiological dynamics of hospital-based influenza A virus (IAV) test positivity rates (TPR) across the pre-, during-, and post-COVID-19 pandemic periods in Southwest China, while addressing biases introduced by evolving testing methodologies and healthcare-seeking behaviors.
Methods: A total of 57,704 influenza A test records from a symptom-driven, care-seeking population at the Third Hospital of Mianyang were retrospectively analyzed from 2018 to 2024. Detection methods included colloidal gold immunoassay (Stages 1-2) and quantitative PCR (Stage 3). Because assay type was completely confounded with pandemic stage, test-performance comparisons across modalities were not feasible; all findings are interpreted as hospital-based TPR rather than community prevalence.
Results: The overall IAV TPR was 14.8%. TPR dropped sharply to 4.5% during the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and surged to 17.8% in the post-pandemic period, peaking in 2023. Age-specific positivity patterns shifted markedly across stages, consistent with a composite of changing viral circulation, testing thresholds, and clinical triage practices.
Conclusion: IAV test positivity rebounded significantly following the relaxation of containment measures. Interpretations of TPR must account for detection-method biases, variations in testing volume, and clinical triage practices, as TPR is a proxy for healthcare system stress rather than a direct measure of community prevalence. Stage-specific, methodologically transparent surveillance is warranted to inform future pandemic preparedness.
Keywords: COVID‐19; China; Influenza A Virus; hospital‐based test positivity rates; pandemic; surveillance; testing methods.
. 2026 Nov;14(11):e70605.
doi: 10.1002/iid3.70605.
Temporal and Demographic Variations in Hospital-Based Influenza A Virus Positivity Rates Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 6-Year Single-Center Study in Southwest China
Hao Dang 1 , Xiujuan Peng 1 , Li Xu 1 , Wei Wang 2 , Ping Tang 2
Affiliations Expand
- PMID: 43006728
- PMCID: PMC13749615
- DOI: 10.1002/iid3.70605
Abstract
Objective: To characterize the epidemiological dynamics of hospital-based influenza A virus (IAV) test positivity rates (TPR) across the pre-, during-, and post-COVID-19 pandemic periods in Southwest China, while addressing biases introduced by evolving testing methodologies and healthcare-seeking behaviors.
Methods: A total of 57,704 influenza A test records from a symptom-driven, care-seeking population at the Third Hospital of Mianyang were retrospectively analyzed from 2018 to 2024. Detection methods included colloidal gold immunoassay (Stages 1-2) and quantitative PCR (Stage 3). Because assay type was completely confounded with pandemic stage, test-performance comparisons across modalities were not feasible; all findings are interpreted as hospital-based TPR rather than community prevalence.
Results: The overall IAV TPR was 14.8%. TPR dropped sharply to 4.5% during the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and surged to 17.8% in the post-pandemic period, peaking in 2023. Age-specific positivity patterns shifted markedly across stages, consistent with a composite of changing viral circulation, testing thresholds, and clinical triage practices.
Conclusion: IAV test positivity rebounded significantly following the relaxation of containment measures. Interpretations of TPR must account for detection-method biases, variations in testing volume, and clinical triage practices, as TPR is a proxy for healthcare system stress rather than a direct measure of community prevalence. Stage-specific, methodologically transparent surveillance is warranted to inform future pandemic preparedness.
Keywords: COVID‐19; China; Influenza A Virus; hospital‐based test positivity rates; pandemic; surveillance; testing methods.