By George Nott2020-12-18T00:01:00+00:00
Source: Unsplash
Coronavirus isn’t the only disease stifled by social distancing and mask wearing. In the first half of 2020, cases of the common cold and influenza fell to nine times lower than the five-year average, according to a Royal College of General Practitioners study.
Little wonder, then, that 12 million fewer packs of cold & flu remedies have gone through the tills in the past 12 months. Only two of the top 10 brands – Lemsip and Strepsils – achieved volume growth.
Covid-19 wasn’t the only thing spreading fast this year. Fake news was too, including rumours that ibuprofen was dangerous for victims of the virus. Nevertheless, the adult painkiller market managed to grow 2.2% in volumes, “showing a strong recovery after the misinformation impacted consumer confidence”, according to Nurofen manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser. That performance was also buoyed by paracetamol being among the most stockpiled items ahead of the