NHS bosses have warned Brits to be careful as a ‘quad-demic’ is on the horizon. It comes as there is a ‘tidal of flu hitting hospitals’. People have been urged to keep up to date with their jabs this winter
Brits have been told to brace themselves for a “quad-demic” as patients across the country have been struck by a series of illnesses in recent weeks.
NHS bosses have warned that there has been an increase in cases of flu, norovirus, RSV and Covid-19. The disastrous news has sparked health alerts, with the board stressing there will be a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals”. With dozens of Brits being left bunged up with numerous symptoms, experts believe a quad–demic is on the horizon.
Officials use the phrase to describe the four conditions expected to push additional pressure on hospitals in the winter months. The alert comes at a time when the number of hospital beds in England occupied by patients with flu has increased significantly.
A&Es had their busiest November on record, with doctors seeing 2.31 million patients come through emergency department doors across hospitals in England. Experts warned that hospitals are running “red hot”, with some predicting winter could be “one of the worst the NHS has faced” and others suggesting that the service could reach “crisis point”.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said: “The tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really concerning for patients and for the NHS – the figures are adding to our ‘quad-demic’ worries. While the NHS has plans in place to manage additional demand over the busy winter period, with one week left to book your vaccine, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting booked in to protect yourself against serious illness and to avoid ‘festive flu’.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting also urged people eligible for free vaccinations on the NHS to take them “before it’s too late”. He said: “With A&Es facing record demand, we are continuing to encourage people to protect themselves, their family, and the NHS by getting vaccinated before it’s too late.
Danielle Jefferies, senior analyst at The King’s Fund think tank, said that services are running “red hot”, adding: “The situation in the NHS is fraught as it enters what looks to be a deeply troubling winter.” Patricia Marquis, from the Royal College of Nursing, added: “The NHS is woefully underprepared for the crisis flooding into its wards this winter.”
The latest Covid-19 symptoms are
- Fever: A high fever is more commonly associated with Covid. Summer colds might cause a mild fever, but it’s typically lower than those in Covid cases.
- Loss of taste or smell: Anosmia (loss of taste or smell) is a commonly known symptom of Covid, rarely seen with Summer colds.
- Fatigue and body aches: Covid often causes extreme fatigue and body aches. While Summer colds can cause tiredness, the level of fatigue is usually less severe.
- Shortness of breath: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath is more specific to Covid, particularly in more severe cases.
- Duration of symptoms: Covid symptoms may last longer and change over time. A Summer cold typically resolves within a week to ten days.
The main symptoms of norovirus are
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Diarrhoea
- Being sick (vomiting)
The main symptoms of RSV are
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A runny nose
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Decreased appetite
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Coughing
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Sneezing
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Fever
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Wheezing
The main symptoms of flu are
- Sudden high temperature
- An aching body
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea or tummy pain
- Feeling sick and being sick