COVID-19 is at a moderate level of activity. Influenza is at a low level of activity. RSV is at a low level of activity.
There have been some fluctuations in COVID-19 indicators over the last few weeks. Overall, COVID-19 activity is still at a moderate level. Influenza activity has increased over the last few weeks, which is likely influenced by travelers returning from northern hemisphere countries where there has been high influenza activity. Overall, influenza activity is still at a low level. The RSV activity is stable at a low level. Pertussis, or whooping cough, notifications have dropped significantly over the last month.
NSW Health continually reviews the methods used to monitor respiratory virus activity in New South Wales. This is due to changes in testing, notification patterns and levels of respiratory virus, including COVID-19, in the community. These changes affect the usefulness of notifications for monitoring virus activity and community transmission over time. The Public Health, Rapid, Emergency and Syndromic Surveillance (PHREDSS) data, COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Program, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data and the NSW Sentinel Laboratory Network results are currently of most value for monitoring COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses of importance in the community. Public registration of positive COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) in NSW ceased on 30 September 2023. NSW Health also monitors COVID-19 outbreaks in residential aged-care facilities that are published by the Australian Government and COVID-19 antiviral prescriptions dispensed in NSW.
The data source for this report updates as new information becomes available. Therefore, this report cannot be directly compared to previous versions of the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report or to previous reporting periods. For additional information on the data sources and methods presented within this report please refer to COVID-19 surveillance report data sources and methodology.
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