Health trends Article
Winter Virus Surveillance: What Our July Results Tell Us
As the colder months continue, respiratory viruses remain one of the leading causes of illness in South Africa. Every winter, laboratories across the country see an increase in patients being tested for viruses that cause coughs, fevers, sore throats and flu-like symptoms.
At Toga Laboratories, we monitor these testing patterns to help healthcare professionals understand which viruses are circulating in our communities. While these results do not represent every person in South Africa, they provide valuable insight into local trends and help doctors make informed clinical decisions.
What did we find?
During 1–31 July 2026, Influenza A/H1N1 was the most commonly detected respiratory virus, followed by rhinovirus.
Other viruses, including RSV, Influenza B, Adenovirus, Metapneumovirus, Parainfluenza and SARS-CoV-2, were also detected, but at much lower rates. Subtyping of the remaining viruses was not performed.
What does this mean?
The results suggest that influenza and rhinovirus remain the dominant respiratory viruses in the communities we serve.
While SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate, it was detected at a very low rate during this reporting period.
We also observed that some viruses showed noticeable week-to-week changes. For example, most RSV cases occurred during the second week of July, demonstrating how respiratory viruses can spread rapidly within specific communities before declining again
Why don't these results represent everyone?
It’s important to remember that surveillance reports are designed to identify trends rather than measure exactly how many people are infected.
Several factors can influence the results, including:
- Different communities experience different patterns of illness.
- Doctors request testing based on a patient’s symptoms and clinical presentation.
- Patients and healthcare providers may have different thresholds for requesting testing.
- Sample collection methods can vary.
- Although modern PCR tests are highly accurate, no laboratory test is perfect and there is always a very small possibility of false positive or false negative results.
Looking ahead
These findings provide a useful snapshot of respiratory virus activity during July. However, respiratory virus circulation changes throughout the season, and it is expected that these patterns will continue to shift as South Africa moves towards the end of winter.
Stay informed this winter
Respiratory viruses remain common during the winter months. If you experience persistent flu-like symptoms, fever or a worsening respiratory illness, consult your healthcare provider, who can determine whether laboratory testing is appropriate.
At Toga Laboratories, we remain committed to providing accurate laboratory testing and meaningful surveillance data that supports better clinical decision-making and patient care.