Disease rates in Australia have more than halved in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions

There were 52% fewer disease notifications in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.

Disease rates in Australia have more than halved in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, according to an analysis by Finder. There were 52% fewer disease notifications in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System.

Reported rates of diseases dropped from 597,066 to 287,981 in 12 months – even when factoring in the 28,641 cases of COVID-19 last year.

Some diseases, including influenza, have dropped by as much as 93% between 2019 and 2020. Measles (down 91%), dengue virus infection (down 85%), rotavirus (down 73%) and pertussis/whooping cough (down 71%) have also experienced dramatic reductions.

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Taylor Blackburn is a multi-award winning communications specialist, focused on personal finance and insurance. Taylor regularly appears in national media including Sunrise, Today, Studio 10, ACA, SBS, ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten News as a spokesperson for Finder. See full bio

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Taylor has written 234 Finder guides across topics including:
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