New insights predict a surge in cold and flu cases following the Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays.
The Codral 2025 Cold and Flu Forecast indicated that 2 in 5 Australian households and 6.1 million Australians could be impacted before the end of May. New South Wales, as Australia’s cold and flu capital, will experience the largest wave.
Among the predicted top affected regions is Hornsby.
‘While 2024 was one of the worst cold and flu seasons in recent history, 2025 is already following a similar trajectory,’ says Codral spokesperson Simone Tawadros. ‘The data indicates that the cold and flu season is notably shifting earlier each year, now anticipated to hit peak number of cases in June instead of August.’
Last year, nasal congestion was the most common symptom, though this year coughs are predicted to dominate the ranking, followed by congestion, pain, and fever. Average symptoms last 8 days, with the general course of illness peaking on days 2 and 3 with sore throats, runny noses, coughs, and low-grade fevers.
IQVIA partnered with Codral to map the spread of cold and flu nationwide.
 ‘By leveraging an advanced model that integrates cold and flu reports, medicine sales, web search trends, climate data, and historical consumption patterns, we can offer sharper insights that ever before,’ says Sashi Anantham, Principal of IQVIA.
