Fear as flu season hits new high

QUEENSLAND’S worst flu season in at least five years has landed 431 people in intensive care so far – more than in the whole of 2016.

And the Australian Medical Association Queensland warns the true flu toll could be seven or eight times the thousands diagnosed by GPs.

Latest Queensland Health figures show 3979 people have been admitted to hospital this year, compared with 3197 last year. And 337 were admitted last week alone. The 431 admissions to intensive care as of last week was up from 406 all last year.

So far this year, Queensland Health has received 35,296 notifications, making this the state’s worst flu season for at least five years. And 4403 cases were reported last week, despite flu season peaking a fortnight ago.

AMAQ spokesman Richard Kidd said the true toll of the disease was likely to be seven or eight times greater, because doctors did not test every flu patient who visited their office.

“A significant number of people aren’t even coming to their GP with the flu anymore,” he said.

The majority of flu notifications this year have been for influenza A, accounting for 73 per cent of cases.

Queensland Health infectious disease specialist Christopher Coulter said lifethreatening flu could still occur in people who had no risk factors.