Background: Ramadan Umrah is the second largest Islamic pilgrimage with 2.75 million pilgrims allowed in 2022. This report presents the results of survey among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Ramadan Umrah for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 and influenza activity and to identify prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants after this mass gathering. Methods: Cross‐sectional survey conducted at Cairo airport April 30-May 5, 2022. Pilgrims were invited to participate voluntarily. After consenting, participants interviewed using questionnaire including demographics, health status and vaccination information and asked to provide NP/OP swabs for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza testing by RT-PCR. Whole-genome sequencing performed for 29 SARS-CoV-2 isolates. Incidence calculated, descriptive data analysis performed, and SARS-CoV-2 patients were compared to negatively tested participants using chi2 and p value<0.05. Results: Overall, 1,003 subjects participated, their mean age 50.9±13 years, 594 (59.2%) were males. Of them, 76(7.6%) tested positive including 67(6.7%) SARS-CoV-2, 7(0.7%) influenza and 2(0.2%) SARS-CoV-2/influenza coinfection. Omicron sublineage BA.2 was the prevalent variant with no difference in severity identified between BA.1 and BA.2. No difference identified between COVID-19 incidence among receivers of different vaccine types or between fully vaccinated and booster dose receivers. Conclusions: survey indicated a low incidence of SARs-CoV-2 and influenza among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Ramadan Umrah. Patients had mild or no symptoms with no hospitalization or deaths reported. Full vaccination and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines proved equally effective. Enhancing COVID-19 and influenza vaccination before mass gatherings and close monitoring of respiratory viruses among pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah are crucial for outbreak early detection and mitigation.

Introduction: An integrated surveillance for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) was established 2016 at network of 19 governmental hospitals to identify causes of ARIs in Egypt. In response to COVID-19 pandemic, WHO requested surveillance adaptation to address the emerging challenges. This report aims at describing Egypt experience in adapting ARI surveillance to COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance methods: WHO case definitions are used to identify ARI patients. NP/OP swabs collected for influenza testing by RT-PCR at central laboratories. Data collected by interviewing patients for demographic and clinical information and entered at sites. During COVID-19 pandemic, the first two outpatients daily and every fifth admitted patient were enrolled. Patients COVID-19 clinical data and testing for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR were added. Results: Between January 2020-April 2022, 18,160 patients were enrolled including 7,923(43.6%) outpatients and 10,237(56.4%) admitted. Of them 6,453(35.5%) tested positive including 5,620(87.1%) SARS-CoV-2, 781(12.1%) influenza and 52(0.8%) SARS-CoV-2/influenza coinfection. SARS CoV-2 caused 95.3% of admitted cases and 65.4% of outpatients. Influenza subtypes included A/H3 (55.7%), Flu-B (29.1%), H1/pdm09 (14.2%). Compared to influenza, SARS-CoV-2 infections prevail in elderly, warm weather, and urban governorates. SARS-CoV-2 caused more hospitalization, longer hospital stay, more severe course and higher case fatality than influenza (16.3 vs 6.6%, p<0.001). Conclusion: Egypt ARI surveillance was successfully adapted to COVID-19 pandemic and effectively describe clinical characteristics and severity of circulating viruses. Surveillance reported re-emergence of influenza viruses with severe course and high fatality. Maintaining ARI surveillance is essential to monitor respiratory viruses activity for guiding clinical management and preventive and control measures.