Flu cases are rising rapidly in the UK, with the winter illness affecting more people and bringing harsher symptoms with it than it did this time last year. In an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Dr Amir Khan has explained why this is - and revealed the best ways to protect yourself from getting ill.
Getting a little bit ill is something we expect in winter, with the freezing temperatures and long, dark nights leaving us a bit sniffly and feeling worse for wear. But this year, the flu is spreading - and fast, with the NHS seeing an unusually large influx of flu patients needing treatment.
So why is the flu so bad this year? In an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Dr Amir Khan explained, "We've been dealing with four viruses; Covid-19, flu, norovirus (which is also called the winter vomiting bug), and RSV. Flu is the big one this year."
The main reasons for this are that there have been 'low numbers in terms of uptake of the flu vaccine' and also that the 'main strain of flu' going around this year is one that hasn't been around for a number of years, HN1, and that means population immunity against it is low.
Dr Amir added, "Now, this cold weather isn't helping either. It dries out our mucus membranes, it puts additional pressure on our immune system, making us more susceptible to flu, but it also worsens other health conditions like cardiovascular disease and lung conditions. Those people then end up in hospital, putting pressure on the system."
If you are feeling run down, it's possible to get rid of a cold fast and the doctor, in his previous warning where he revealed how to avoid getting the flu, says many people can manage flu at home. This not only helps to stop the spread of flu in hospitals where there are many vulnerable patients, but it will also help ease the pressure on hospitals. If you have flu with symptoms like all-over body pain, muscle aches, high temperatures, runny nose, sore throat, and a cough, ringing 111, your GP, or the pharmacist should get you the help you need to deal with pain from home. However, it's important to look for signs of dehydration which is one symptom that can lead to a hospital admission.
Sharing his tips for protecting yourself against the flu, Dr Amir says, "Flu is mainly spread through large droplets and even some small aerosol air droplets in the air as well. Good things to do are; hand hygiene, clean communal services, and get air ventilated and filtered in indoor spaces."
Also, you should get your flu jab if you're eligible, so that's for those 65 and over, those who have an underlying health condition, pregnant women, and those living in care homes.
He added, "Keep your immune system tip top. Prioritise sleep, whole foods, and exercise. Stop smoking, obviously. And if you're ill, stay at home - don't spread it around."
The question on everyone's lips is 'Why is this year so bad?' Not only in terms of the flu symptoms themselves, with the HN1 strain of the illness being to blame there, but in the sheer pressure on the NHS. Dozens of hospitals across the UK have declared critical incidents due to the amount of patients they're treating and it's only getting worse as winter drags on.
"I feel like we say that winter in the NHS is always bad, but this winter is particularly bad," Dr Amir shared. Explaining why that is, he said, "We've gone into it on the back foot because of the backlog on the waiting list and also ongoing staffing crisis within the NHS. Social care continues to be an issue as well with capacity. We can't discharge medically fit patients because there's no beds in social care. That leads to long queues of ambulances waiting to transfer patients."
The statistics are stark. According to both the doctor and official NHS figures, "Last week there were just over 5,400 people in hospital per day with flu. If we compare that to the start of December (when there were 1,098 per day), you can see it's an almost five time increase. But if we look at this time last year (when there were 1,548 per day), we've got three and a half times more people in hospital with flu."
If you're experiencing flu like symptoms, the official NHS advice is to stay at home. Call 111, your GP, or the pharmacist for medical advice and only call 999 in an emergency.
