The number of hospital patients with flu in England quadrupled to more than 5,000 ahead of New Year.
The NHS has issued guidance on how to distinguish between a cold and the flu with three easy steps amid a surge in influenza hospitalisations. According to the latest data, the number of hospital patients with flu in England quadrupled to more than 5,000 ahead of New Year.
In the week ending December 29, there were an average of 4,469 patients with flu in hospital each day. This is almost 3.5 times higher than the same week last year – including 211 a day in critical care.
The NHS reported that there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day, rising sharply by almost a quarter to 5,074 by December 29. On November 29 there were just 1,190 – meaning numbers quadrupled.
It comes as hospitals are still experiencing pressure from a range of viruses, with an average of 723 patients with norovirus in hospital in the week ending December 22, and 528 patients each day last week. Although this has come down, it remains 40 percent higher than 378 the same week last year.
There was also an average of 74 children with RSV in hospital every day last week, up almost half on 50 for the same period in 2023. On top of this there were an average of 1,184 beds occupied by patients with Covid.
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, commented: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.
“On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year, with hospitals putting in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demand.
“With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.”
He urged people to use NHS 111 and 111 online if they need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A&E in “life-threatening emergencies”.
Flu symptoms
Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:
- A sudden high temperature
- An aching body
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- A dry cough
- A sore throat
- A headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea or tummy pain
- Feeling sick and being sick
It can be hard to know if what you have is a cold or flu as they can share symptoms. However, the NHS said there are three ways to distinguish them:
- Flu appears quickly within a few hours while a cold appears gradually
- Flu affects more than just your nose and throat while a cold affects mainly your nose and throat
- Flu makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal while a cold makes you feel unwell, but you still feel well enough to do your normal activities
If you have flu, the NHS recommends you:
- Rest and sleep
- Keep warm
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains
- Give paracetamol or ibuprofen to your child if they’re distressed or uncomfortable – check the packaging or leaflet to make sure the medicine is suitable for your child, or speak to a pharmacist or GP if you’re not sure
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear)
Find out about the symptoms you need to watch out for and get health advice with our free health newsletter from the Mirror
But you should ask for an urgent GP appointment if you or your child have symptoms of flu and:
- You’re worried about your baby’s or child’s symptoms
- You’re 65 or over
- You’re pregnant
- You have a long-term medical condition – for example, diabetes or a condition that affects your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain or nerves
- You have a weakened immune system – for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
- Your symptoms do not improve after seven days
