February isn't the worst, this is the month where the highest number of vabs ​​occur

Runny nose, whooping cough, and winter sickness. Many parents of young children will probably be breathing a sigh of relief when the big sick month of the year, February – also known as February – comes to an end.

But don't shout hello – starting in the pandemic year 2020, more workdays have been taken in March than in February, according to Social Insurance Agency statistics.

However, it is difficult to explain why this is, according to Magnus Gislin, a government epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency.

– In the first months of the year, many people get respiratory and other infections, and many children need to stay at home. But it is very difficult to determine the exact reason why the infection rate was higher in March than it was in February.

New epidemiological patterns

Historically, February has been the month we fluctuate the most. But starting in the pandemic year 2020, patterns have changed, according to Niklas Lofgren, family finance spokesman at Försäkringskassan.

With that in mind, he doesn't want to draw too many conclusions from the change.

“It may have changed a little bit there between February and March, but we saw a new pattern where they took most of their days off in the fall instead,” he says.

She didn't reach the top to vomit

The influencing factor is what type of viruses circulate in different years and when they gain strength.

– Niklas Lofgren says seasonal changes in warts fit well with how the RS virus spreads in the community.

According to Magnus Gesslin, an epidemic affects when different types of viruses become common. This season, for example, the coronavirus has reached an early peak, and influenza is on the decline as well.

– When it comes to calicivirus vomiting, we haven't hit the peak yet, but it looks like it'll go up for another week or so before it comes back. He says it's not entirely unusual for it to peak in March.

Back to January?

In mid-March, it is too early to draw any firm conclusions about 2024, but numbers from February may indicate that we are heading towards previous patterns, according to Niklas Lofgren.

– So far the catch has been bigger in February, so I think it will come back to that.