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

Abstract

Background: Seasonal influenza and the circulating new variants of coronavirus disease 2019 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.