The Murrumbidgee has recorded dramatically fewer influenza cases than usual in 2020.
The most up-to-date local data show there had been just 111 flu cases recorded by the end of July, compared to about 700 for the same time period normally.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District's director of public health Tracey Oakman said coronavirus safety measures had made an "extraordinary" dent in NSW flu numbers.
"Everyone socially distancing and being at home and doing all the hygiene stuff has really protected people against flu," she said.
NSW has recorded 7,166 cases of influenza this year to date, according to data from the federal Department of Health.
A total of 116,458 cases were recorded across the state in 2019.
Mrs Oakman said most of the Murrumbidgee's 111 cases were recorded in the beginning of the year, when people returned from overseas trips with influenza.
"Then everyone started isolating and we haven't had pretty much any since," she said.
There were only twelve recorded flu cases in the Murrumbidgee Local Health district between March and the start of August, which Mrs Oakman said was "amazing".
"I would have expected to see a decrease, but that we've had such a low number is just extraordinary," she said.
Mrs Oakman said flu-related deaths were expected in a normal flu season, but they had been "extraordinarily low" this year as well.
She said the low numbers could also be partially attributed to the significant uptake of flu vaccine in the Riverina in 2020.
Mrs Oakman said more flu vaccine had been made and distributed this year "than ever before".
Wagga pharmacist Luke van der Rijt said he and his staff at SouthCity Pharmacy had not seen their usual high demand for flu medication this winter.
"Most likely obviously due to social distancing [rules] seeing people stay at home, but also most people had their flu shots this year compared with previous years," Mr van der Rijt said.
He said it had been difficult to predict what was going to happen with COVID-19 and flu.
"This is the first time this event has ever occurred, so we weren't expecting really anything," he said.
Federal government figures show Australia has recorded just 106 flu cases this August.
There were 61,064 cases confirmed in the same month last year.
Catie McLeod
Catie is a reporter at The Daily Advertiser covering health and Wagga City Council. You can contact her on c.mcleod@dailyadvertiser.com.au or 0475 819 651.
Catie is a reporter at The Daily Advertiser covering health and Wagga City Council. You can contact her on c.mcleod@dailyadvertiser.com.au or 0475 819 651.
