Rise in temperatures unlikely to worsen flu outbreaks

As Beijing is breaking temperature records this March, medical experts said it will have little impact on the flu situation.

Beijing's temperature on Monday reached 22.8 C, surpassing the early March temperature record of 22.3 C on March 10, 2008, according to the Beijing Meteorological Service. It predicted weather in the city will remain warm until Friday, with the highest temperature expected to be between 18 and 19 C during this period.

Nationwide, a warming trend is spreading throughout.

As of 2 pm Monday, temperatures in 14 provincial capitals and municipalities including Tianjin and Zhengzhou had reached new highs for the year. Zhengzhou became the first provincial capital city in northern China to reach 25 C this year, the Paper reported on Monday.

"Compared with the same period in past years, today's temperatures in Zhengzhou, Wuhan and Changsha are about 12 C higher. Tianjin and Taiyuan are about 10 C higher. The warmth is significantly ahead," Shi Yan, a meteorologist with the China Meteorological Administration, told the Paper.

Since February, seasonal flu cases have increased rapidly in many cities.

Wang Yimin, a doctor in the department of respiratory and critical care medicine at China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, said the rising temperature's influence on flu outbreaks would vary due to regional differences between north and south.

"Rising temperatures have limited effect on flu, a seasonal disease. Due to cold weather, poor ventilation and the virus's longer survival time, flu is relatively more widespread in winter. In northern cities like Beijing, rising temperatures will cause flu to gradually abate. In the southern part of China, summer is the flu season. So the impact of rising temperatures on flu varies among different provinces, cities and regions," Wang added.