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Practitioner Visitation Trends For Immune Complaints Through 2020
Industry update article for allied and natural health practitioners | Housed on Metagenics Institute, a natural medicine learning and resource portal | 2021
As winter takes hold, immune health is top of mind for patients and Practitioners alike.
Pneumonia and influenza historically see more cases and deaths in the coldest months,1 and with COVID-19continuing to circulate, strengthening the defenses of those with chronic and autoimmune conditions is paramount, along with the treatment of recurrent cold and flu.
However, with the focus on the pandemic throughout 2020, people started to focus heavily on their health and hygiene to reduce their chances of getting sick.
Public and private washrooms, the work kitchen, television and social media became plasterboards for hand washing etiquette and social distancing.
Broad labour force changes like stand downs and redundancies, local and national lockdowns and ongoing restrictions contributed to people spending less time in environments conducive to the spread of infection – open plan offices, public transport, socialising and more.
ABS data shows that the number of Australians taking personal leave days (due to sickness, illness or injury) declined by 37% last year in April following the Australian lockdown, and by August numbers were still down by almost 100,000 people.2
To create an even more complete picture, we also need to look at flu data. 2019 was one of the worst we’ve seen, with over 310,000 cases reported culminating in hundreds of deaths. Contrast this with the numbers for2020 and cases were down by over 92% to 21,266, likely influenced by a combination of the conditions above.3
Despite all these factors that seemingly would have indicated fewer visits to Practitioners for immune complaints, research shows that visits held steady from 2019 to 2020 (Thrive Insights, 2020).
Our patients maintain concern about their immune health – and we cannot discount the fact that the continuing presence of COVID-19, along with a sluggish Federal vaccine response will continue to inform this trend. We may even see elevated public interest in more robust, naturally improved, and supplemented immune health through 2021 and beyond.
But when we look at the reasons patients visit their Practitioner, immune health doesn’t rank in the top 10. Recurrent cold and flu is a relatively less commonly treated condition while Autoimmune disease is treated more commonly by Practitioners. Couple this with the data showing immune supplements are only taken by 5% of vitamin, mineral and supplement users (Thrive Insights, 2021) and these factors may indicate a treatment opportunity.
This contrasts with results on the usage of immune health building Vitamin D; it’s the top supplement taken by vitamin, mineral and supplement users. Familiarity with and knowledge of this supplement and its benefits is high. This may assist in introducing more comprehensive immune building supplements to those patients interested in strengthening their body’s natural defenses, as well as those who have compromised immunity.
Metagenics Institute offers a wealth of free resources for Practitioners on immune health, as well as treating and managing more chronic immune conditions for both children and adults and addressing foundational deficiencies that contribute to poor health.
We can see that Practitioner visitation for immune complaints has remained consistent despite various factors that otherwise might have indicated a decline.
Practitioners are trusted partners for our patients and play a key role in education and helping them achieve their health goals. There is a strong opportunity for our natural medicine community to support patients in building and maintaining robust immune health for the challenges we face moving forward.
References
1 https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/e4e2219d-1745-4cd9-a221-eb7ac1a1e476/bulletin03.pdf.aspx?inline=true
2 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-06/how-has-coronavirus-impacted-on-workers-taking-sick-leave/12660858
3 https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ozflu-surveil-season-summary-2020.htm
