British well being officers warn of inauspicious winter with flu and COVID

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) – British well being officers on Wednesday warned that elevated circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 may result in a troublesome winter that will increase stress on the already stretched Nationwide Well being Service (NHS).

Warnings over a doable “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu have been issued every winter for the reason that begin of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, however COVID restrictions that restricted social contact have meant flu ranges stayed low.

Nevertheless, the federal government ended coronavirus restrictions earlier this yr, which means that social contact charges have returned to close pre-pandemic norms whereas immunity to flu is comparatively low.

The UK Well being Safety Company (UKHSA) mentioned that given the chance it was essential these eligible took up vaccines in opposition to COVID and flu.

“There are robust indications we could possibly be going through the specter of broadly circulating flu, decrease ranges of pure immunity on account of much less publicity during the last three winters and a rise in COVID-19 circulating,” mentioned Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA.

After falling over the summer time, there are indicators that COVID-19 instances and hospitalisations are beginning to tick up, and Hopkins mentioned plenty of variants presently circulating may evade the immune response to some extent.

Round 33 million persons are eligible for a free flu vaccine this yr, and 26 million are eligible for a COVID-19 booster. The aged and clinically susceptible are eligible for each, and younger kids can get flu pictures.

If issues a few so-called twindemic materialise, it can heighten stress on Britain’s already stretched hospitals, that are bidding to meet up with procedures delayed through the pandemic and combating a staffing disaster.

On Tuesday, Labour Occasion chief Keir Starmer mentioned he was actually frightened with what number of lives had been in danger this winter given the pressure on the NHS.

Reporting by Alistair Smout; modifying by William James

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.