A number of nasty illnesses are doing the rounds
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging people to consider wearing face masks, among other things, now that the weather has turned colder and a number of bugs are doing the rounds. Flu, Covid, the common cold, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are often more prevalent during autumn and winter.
Symptoms can overlap, though some illnesses can be considerably more severe than others. In a new post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday the UKHSA said: “Feeling under the weather? Help stop infections from spreading with this checklist for you and your family.”
People are being urged to do five things to help stop infections spreading over the coming weeks and months. These are to wash hands regularly, catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue, stay home if you feel unwell, open a window when meeting others indoors, and to consider wearing a mask if you need to go out.
As per the most recent government data, Covid cases are up slightly in the week to October 8, with a rise of 1.9 per cent. Covid deaths rose by almost 15 per cent week on week, going from 87 to 100, in the week to October 3.
And in the week to September 30, the most recent data available, the number of patients admitted to healthcare settings with Covid rose from from 1,894 to 2,077, an increase of 9.7 per cent.