Jose Luis Turabian
Family medicine is a major source of information about health problems and their variation. For most illnesses the general practitioner is the first point of contact in the health care system and he looks after a population whose age and sex composition is known. He is therefore in an ideal position to conduct inquiries about seasonal variations of diseases. There are diseases where possible patterns of seasonal variation have been established: psychiatric disorders, allergies, heart disease, etc. It has long been accepted that morbidity patterns in general practice vary seasonally, which mainly depends on the acute pathology of infectious origin. In addition, it can be affirmed that respiratory infections represent the most important percentage of infections. So, seasonal variability of diseases in family medicine can be attributed to the variability of respiratory infections. Infectious disease dynamics offer a wide variety of intriguing and unexplained phenomena. There is a gap in how diverse studies encompassing immunology, mathematics, epidemiology, and virology combine to form a complete picture of seasonality. This may be due to the daunting complexity of seasonality itself, which is likely to reflect the actions of a vast multitude of variables. An understanding of what drives seasonal trends may allow: 1) better understanding of transmission dynamics, leading to better methods of prevention, health education, triage, diagnosis and management; 2) generate causal and risk factor hypotheses; 3) awareness of risks and surveillance systems; 4) monitoring the effects of intervention studies such as immunization programs; 5) identifying the specific environmental and socioeconomic factors underlying seasonal transmission; 6) better Interpretation of prevalence or incidence studies; And 7) redistribution of resources for the care of the demand in family medicine and health care system.
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