The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned people not to meet their elderly relatives at Christmas if they have flu-like symptoms.
The number of cases and hospitalizations for both influenza and Covid-19 is on the rise, with influenza hospitalizations reaching their highest level since the winter of 2017/18, when 30,000 people died from influenza and pneumonia.
The UKHSA has urged people to “avoid contact with other people if you are not feeling well to prevent the spread of infections during the Christmas and New Year period.”
The scathing warning came after the head of NHS Providers said this Christmas would be one of the “grimmest” for health care as strikes threaten to worsen an “already very difficult situation” caused by cases of influenza, Covid and Streptococcus A.
Dr Susan Hopkins, UKHSA Senior Medical Adviser, said: “There has been a sharp increase in hospital admissions for people aged 75 and over in the past week, with hospitalizations for children under the age of five still high.”
She advised people to get a flu shot and take practical precautions to prevent the spread of flu and other illnesses: “If you don’t feel well, stay at home, and if you have to go outside, wear a mask indoors. . Wash your hands regularly and try to ventilate rooms well.”
Flu hospital admissions for adults aged 85 years and older and children under five more than doubled this week from the previous week.
Dr Conall Watson, epidemiology adviser at the UKHSA, said the flu is “currently widespread” after a “drastic increase in hospital admissions” this week. The number of visitors is expected to increase after the 2017/18 winter season.
Health trust leaders are working to mitigate the effects of union action, as well as an “incredibly long list of other serious problems,” including long waiting times for ambulances, staff shortages and a shortage of hospital beds.
The usual winter pressure is exacerbated by high flu levels, while concerns about Streptococcus A, which has killed 24 children in the UK this winter, are fueling demand for NHS 111 services to “almost record levels”.
Nurses went on strike on 15 and 20 December and ambulance workers in England and Wales went on strike on Wednesday, with another strike scheduled for 28 December.
Union members from five ambulance services in England will go on two more strikes on 11 and 23 January, with Unite union announcing that its Welsh ambulance members have voted to strike. in the new year.
Saffron Corderi, acting director of NHS Providers representing health funds, said: “Trust leaders expect this to be one of the darkest Christmases yet. As they work diligently to mitigate the effects of the ongoing strikes, they are also facing an incredibly long list of other major challenges.”
She said she expects the flu season to be “much harder than the last few years leading up to the pandemic”, which has affected bed occupancy, which she says is “still above what is considered safe levels”.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.