The latest Public Health England (PHE) report on flu has found that prevalence of the illness has risen in the last week.
The statistics show that over the last week, GP consultations with flu-like illness, hospital and intensive care admission rates have all increased from 14.8 to 19.2 per 100,000, from 3.54 to 4.75 and from 0.42 to 0.50 per 100,000 respectively. This suggests that flu is having a moderate impact on hospital admissions, and a high impact on intensive care unit and high dependency unit admissions.
The report also shows that in week 2 of 2019, no statistically significant excess all-cause mortality by week of death has been seen yet overall or by age group in England this season.
‘In the last week, there have been small increases to both hospital and intensive care admission rates meaning flu is starting to have a greater impact. These rises are typical for this time of year,’ said Richard Pebody, Head of Flu at PHE.
‘We are currently seeing mainly A(H1N1)pdm09 circulating which is well matched to the strains in this year’s flu vaccines. Previous flu seasons suggest this strain particularly affects children, pregnant women, and adults with long term conditions – so if you’re eligible, it’s not too late to get your free jab to protect yourself and vulnerable people around you.’
Learn more about addressing the burden of influenza in older adults in the UK
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