Unexplained flu-like illness: Another pandemic?

Influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection have become common in recent years.

Each year, the flu-like illness usually peaks in February-April and July-September in Nepal. In most cases, influenza virus testing is recommended for people who have flu-like symptoms. Among the flu-like cases, only 8-18 percent were found positive for influenza virus, from the beginning of 2023 till February 12, meaning that 82 percent of the flu-like illnesses are actually caused by non-flu viruses. In other words, unknown flu-like illnesses are widely circulating in Nepal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics report, influenza-like illnesses (non-influenza virus) are widespread across the world. The question then is: Could these mysterious flu-like illnesses or infections be capable of triggering the next pandemic?