Flu explosion: Shocking that one in four sick adults has flu – double last year… as terrifying ‘quad-demic’ wave sweeps Britain, hospitalizing thousands

One in four working-age adults in England who suffer from winter viruses have flu, as the NHS braces for a ‘quad-demic’ caused by a tidal wave of winter illnesses.

Surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that one in five tests on Britons of all ages with coughs and colds came back positive for the flu virus at the end of last week.

This is an increase from around one in ten positive tests the week before, and another sign that the virus is spreading among the population.

It comes at a time when health leaders are urging those eligible for free flu shots to take up the offer, with current uptake well below the level experts say is needed to protect the health care system from being overwhelmed.

The latest flu positivity test results, from December 8, are almost three times higher than the level recorded at the same time last year.

But not all Britons are affected equally. Flu positivity was 25.7 percent among British adults aged 25 to 54 tested, a rate of around one in four.

This was narrowly beaten by Brits aged 15 to 24 with a positivity rate of 26 per cent, and children aged five to 14 with a positivity rate of 30 per cent, the highest of any group.

Flu rates among Britons over 65, who are eligible for an NHS jab, hovered around one in six.

Separate figures from NHS England show that the number of people admitted to hospital with flu has risen by 70 per cent in just a week.

NHS data shows that on average almost 1,900 patients were admitted to hospital with flu every day in England last week.

This is an increase from the average of 1,100 in the previous week and is 3.5 times more patients than in the same period last year.

To add to the misery for the NHS, serious cases of both norovirus and RSV are also on the rise.

With Covid cases also potentially in play, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said health chiefs are concerned.

“The tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really worrying for patients and for the NHS – the figures are adding to our ‘quad-demic’ concerns,” he said.

Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said data suggests the threat of an early flu season is “materialising” and she encouraged those eligible to come forward and get a jab.

“With winter vaccine uptake not yet reaching the high levels we are aiming for in some eligible groups – including healthcare workers, our forecasts for infection rates are not getting any brighter,” she said.

“By taking the vaccine, you will avoid jeopardizing your seasonal plans – and, more importantly, you will avoid the risk of serious illness and hospitalizations.”

She added: ‘Elderly people and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of more severe illness from flu or norovirus, so if you have flu-like symptoms or diarrhea or vomiting, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent that you die. about the infection in these environments.”

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: ‘The latest data makes it clear that flu is increasing rapidly and that we are approaching a serious flu wave.’

“Now is the time to get vaccinated if you are eligible.”

People over 65, people with long-term health problems, pregnant women, care home residents and caregivers are eligible for a free shot.

There are signs that the call for eligible Britons to roll up their sleeves and get the jab has been heard.

NHS England said the number of appointments booked for flu and Covid vaccinations has more than doubled, from 9,452 on Wednesday to 21,144 on Thursday – an increase of 124 per cent.

Fears of a bad flu year come just days after experts warned this year’s flu vaccine could be 30 percent less effective than hoped.

The flu vaccine is adjusted every year based on data from Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which have their winter season six months before Britain.

This is because the same types of flu that hit these countries typically cause the majority of cases in Britain.

However, sometimes this prediction is wrong. According to the Office of National Statistics, an inappropriate flu vaccine was responsible for an additional 50,000 deaths in Britain in 2017.

Data shows that the flu shot used in the Southern Hemisphere, on which the flu shot in Britain is based, could be up to 30 percent less effective than normal.

Experts believe that a successful flu shot prevents people from needing hospital care for the virus in about 7 out of 10 cases.

However, data from countries such as Australia and New Zealand show that the latest jab has prevented only 4 in 10 hospital admissions.

Influenza, also known as flu, is responsible for around 40,000 hospital admissions and more than 10,000 deaths each year in Britain, although this can be higher in bad years.

Symptoms typically include fever, sore throat, muscle aches and coughing.