Frightening ‘quad-demic’ warning as NHS’s top doctor warns Britain will have ‘worst year ever’ for flu – and predicts rise will get WORSE

Britain is on track for its worst flu year on record amid a rising tide of infections, the country’s top doctor warned today.

Surveillance programs monitoring the outbreak in the country indicate that flu hospital admissions in England have already surpassed last year’s peak and are at their highest levels yet this winter.

The latest figures show that almost 3,000 patients have been admitted to hospital with the virus. Of these, more than 150 were in critical care.

But the NHS’s national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said the worst tidal wave in Britain was ‘yet to come’.

A ‘quad-demic’ of four winter diseases – flu, Covid, norovirus and cold-like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – also continues to put pressure on a strained healthcare system, he added.

Experts fear the rise in infections will continue to accelerate in the coming days due to more people socializing indoors over the Christmas and New Year period.

They have urged people with coughs, sore throats or runny noses to limit contact with vulnerable groups – such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying conditions – amid fears they could become seriously ill from the virus.

Sir Stephen said: ‘The winter flu season has not only hit the NHS at the start of this year, but is potentially on track to be one of the worst we have ever seen as the ‘quad-demic’ continues to put pressure on services enlarge.

‘NHS frontline staff are currently under significant pressure – and as families and friends have gathered over the holidays and celebrated the New Year, we expect the peak of seasonal viruses is yet to come.

‘Firstly, I would like to thank the NHS staff – despite the huge demand, they continue to work tirelessly to keep patients safe and provide them with the best possible care.

‘And secondly, I would like to remind the public that community services such as GPs and pharmacies are open as usual today and on Thursday and Friday for help and advice.

‘Anyone requiring medical support should continue to use services as normal – 999 and A&E only in an emergency, and for other urgent health needs, use NHS 111 or 111 online.’

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which collects data for England, paused its updates over Christmas, meaning the impact of festive gatherings won’t be apparent until early in the new year.

According to the latest weekly NHS figures, RSV – which is most common in infants and young children – was 25 per cent higher in the week ending December 17 than the year before.

Winter vomiting norovirus numbers, meanwhile, are also almost 25 percent higher than expected for this time of year.

Some hospitals have begun limiting visiting hours and imposing mask mandates amid fears of a rising number of “quad-demic” cases.

NHS trusts in Cambridge, Essex and Bedfordshire introduced new restrictions on Monday to limit the risk of infection to patients, staff and the public.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and the Welsh Ambulance Service have also reported critical incidents due to the huge increase in demand for care.

On Saturday, NHS Dumfries and Galloway also introduced temporary restrictions on visits due to a ‘high number of respiratory illnesses’ in the community.

Despite mounting pressure, the latest official data shows that just under one in four frontline healthcare workers in England have had the flu vaccine this year.

The government report shows that in total only 24.3 percent of staff responsible for direct patient care have been vaccinated against influenza.

Analysis of the data showed that vaccination rates this year in every staff group, including NHS hospital staff, paramedics and GPs, are lower than in the 2023 season.

Public health specialists say people with even mild cold symptoms should consider self-isolating because they could unknowingly have the virus, which can be fatal for the elderly.

In addition to avoiding family gatherings, they have recommended wearing a mask and social distancing to avoid passing on the bug.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert from the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: ‘If you have flu you should stay away from other people for the first three days and preferably the first week.

‘This is especially important if they are older or suffer from medical conditions that put them at greater risk.’

Flu symptoms include fever, sore throat, muscle aches and coughing, but Prof Hunter warned that many people are simply suffering from something similar to a cold.

About a fifth of people infected with flu have no symptoms but can still pass the disease on to others, he added.

University of Warwick virologist Professor Lawrence Young also urged people with possible flu symptoms to consider lockdown-style measures.

‘If you have flu-like symptoms it is very important to think about limiting your contact with other people, especially those who are clinically vulnerable to respiratory infections,’ he said.

He added that this is important to consider even if vulnerable people had received a flu shot because, like any vaccine, it cannot provide 100 percent protection against serious disease.

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.