A UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) study found that work or school absences accompanied 47.4% of flu-like illness episodes reported by participants who were employed or studying across two winter seasons.
Researchers counted 1,868 episodes among 3,057 participants, drawing on 68,149 weekly symptom submissions from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 winters. The 47.4% figure applies to episodes in the employment-or-education group, not to the UK population as a whole. Separately, 14% of episodes involved contact with a health care service. The study was published Oct. 8 in PLOS Digital Health.
The survey system, FluSurvey, began in 2009 and is now managed by UKHSA. Adults can report symptoms for themselves or on behalf of household members, including children. The study authors said the voluntary online cohort was not representative of the UK population; it included higher proportions of women, White people, adults 45 and older, and people with higher educational attainment.
FluSurvey classified episodes from reported symptoms rather than confirmed influenza tests, so the results do not describe confirmed flu infections. The study reported absences in 46.2% of relevant episodes in 2023-24 and 49.1% in 2024-25, but questions about daily routines and absence changed between seasons, limiting direct comparison.
Dr. Becki Green, UKHSA’s principal scientist for respiratory viruses, said “almost half missed work or school, needing time to recover.” UKHSA says childhood vaccination may curb transmission beyond schools and reduce the need for parents to miss work while caring for sick children. The study did not assess whether vaccination prevented absences.
In a separate report published Oct. 15, UKHSA said influenza activity in England was stable and at baseline levels for the week ending Oct. 11. Emergency department visits for influenza-like illness remained above seasonal expectations. EconoTimes previously covered England’s RSV and COVID-19 hospital admission rates in the agency’s surveillance data.
