NHS issues warning on ‘quad-demic’ as cases after surge in four bugs across UK
The NHS have issued a warning after figures have revealed there has been a 350% increase in cases of flu and an 86% rise in norovirus cases recorded in hospitals, compared to this time last year.
This comes as it has been confirmed that the NHS is 'busier than it has ever been before', in part due to the fact cases of Covid-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) are also on the rise.
On average, there were 1,390 patients with Covid being placed in a hospital beds every day last week, and 142 children in hospital every day as a result of RSV.
Staff of the NHS and the public are being urged to get their vaccinations imminently where possible, as hospital wards are set to face added pressure in coming weeks.
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John Tregoning, a professor in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, told ITV that a 'quad-demic', as the crisis is being called, is a co-circulation of 'very common viruses,' influenza, RSV, coronavirus and norovirus.
He said: "The first three are respiratory viruses – they cause colds and more severe diseases of the lung; norovirus causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
"They are what are known as endemic viruses – there is low level circulation of them most of the time, as opposed to pandemics which are the massive outbreaks.
"Viral infections are more common in winter. They tend to peak in the last four weeks of one year and the first four weeks of the following one."
The NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: "We are still only at the start of December, so we expect pressure to increase and there is a long winter ahead of us.
"For a while there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, but with rising cases of norovirus this could fast become a ‘quad-demic’ so it’s important that if you haven’t had your Covid or flu jab to follow the lead of millions of others and come forward and get protected as soon as possible."
The NHS have warned that pressure on ambulance services is 'incredibly high,' having taken 90,514 patients to hospitals in last week in England, which is an increase from 83,873 this time last year.
Last week in England, 96,587 adult general and acute hospital beds were taken up on average, which the NHS say is higher than at any point during any other year.
The executive director for England for the Royal College of Nursing, Patricia Marquis, said: "There is barely a spare bed in our NHS, with sky-high flu admissions and thousands stuck in hospital unable to be discharged due to a lack of capacity in social care.
"Before the cold weather hits, nursing staff and patients are desperately worried about what the coming weeks and months may bring.”
Interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, added: "Services are already feeling the strain from a worrying spike in nasty winter bugs and bad weather.
"Flu, norovirus, RSV and Covid-19 are piling the pressure on already stretched services and staff, and this is likely to get worse as we head into the depths of winter."
Kya Buller