Describing the magnitude of the 2014/2015 influenza A(H3N2) dominant season; can the slope explain the experience?

Abstract

Background: Assessing seasonal severity of influenza is problematic; traditional indicators may not be reliable to determine the magnitude of each influenza season. We investigated why the overall impact of influenza was much higher during the 2014/2015 season despite the fact that peak influenza positivity was lower than both the 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 influenza A(H3N2) dominant influenza seasons. The magnitudes of area under the epidemic curve of influenza positivity and the ascending and descending slopes as a measure of seasonal severity were also explored.