Government health officials announced today that flu cases in the UK have seen a sharp increase. Their surveillance data shows that the flu-related hospital admissions have quadrupled compared to the amount the case took last month.
According to the report by BBC, at the close of last week, 5,000 patients who had flu symptoms were admitted into the hospitals, which is nearly 3.5 times more than the respective period in 2023 although it still stands low compared to that of 2022.
The head of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine describes the situation as “unacceptably awful” with flu testing hospitals. It has also added health concerns for this weekend with extremely cold weather, especially in relation to vulnerable patients and the healthcare system.
The pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the new year, rocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospitals as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate,” according to NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, Professor Julian Redhead, speaking to the BBC.
He added, “With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions.”
The NHS UK states that although flu is usually self-limiting, it can be particularly severe for people at high risk. Getting the flu vaccine is important for those recommended to have the flu vaccine.
The health care system also promotes awareness of flu symptoms, which tend to come on abruptly. General symptoms include sudden onset of fever, body aches, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, headache, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea or vomiting. In children, some other symptoms may include ear pain and less activity. This will help identify the symptoms in advance and can lead to proper management of the disease at the right time.
