Brits have been warned they face a four-pronged assault from four viruses, with positivity rates increasing across the board for adenovirus, HMPV, parainfluenza and rhinovirus
A quad-demic has hit the UK in the wake of warnings that Brits should consider donning masks once more, with four viruses running amok just weeks after after a top official issued a Covid-era warning.
Cases of adenovirus, former Chinese mystery virus HMPV, parainfluenza and rhinovirus have surged in just a few days, with the country’s top health agency noting the creeping prevalence of each virus in its latest data. Each virus can cause a raft of health complications among the general public, and two – HMPV and rhinovirus – can prove deadly if left untreated.
The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show one of the viruses that can prove deadly for the most vulnerable Brits is now the most prevalent. Between February 3 and 9 alone, the agency found that rates of rhinovirus – which can cause fatal pneumonia in immunocompromised people – increased from 10.1 to 11.6 percent.
The 1.5 percent surge is the most significant of the four, with adenovirus positivity rates increasing by by 0.6 percent from 3.6 to 4.2 percent. Parainfluenza positivity rates saw a similar surge, as the UKHSA noted a positivity increase of 0.6 percent from 0.9 to 1.5 percent during the same period.
HMPV, in turn, have increased from 4.2 to 4.5 percent, a 0.3 percent rise. The new figures follow the growing presence of horror vomiting bug norovirus, which the UKHSA has found it cementing an already significant presence in the UK. Recent data from the agency tracking an “unusual” phenotype of the bug, which can cause deadly dehydration, shows a 22.6 percent case surge over a “five-season average”.
The UKHSA reported: “While some of the increased reporting may be attributable to the increased use of PCR multiplex technology (capable of detecting multiple gastrointestinal pathogens in one test), it is likely that the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype, GII.17, as well as changes in the epidemiology following the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors are contributing to the observed rise.”
Norovirus causes a series of unpleasant symptoms, including vomiting, a fever, diarrhea, muscle aches, a fever and chills. The recent figures follow a warning from a top UK official, who has told Brits to consider wearing a mask if they start feeling unwell – especially if their symptoms are respiratory.
Speaking to the Daily Star in January, Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “There are many viruses in circulation at the moment, including flu – if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness and you need to go out, our advice continues to be that you should consider wearing a face mask.”