City on alert as ‘worst flu for 50 years’ set to arrive
COVENTRY and Warwickshire is braced for the deadly ‘Aussie flu’ heading for the UK.
Reports suggest the flu could be the ‘worst we’ve seen in 50 years.’
Experts have warned Brits after a mother-of-two became the latest victim of the epidemic currently sweeping Australia. Jennifer Thew passed away over the weekend after a week-long battle with the killer virus, which she contracted alongside her sevenyear-old daughter Estella.
The Canberra medical receptionist died from acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Reports of her death comes as experts warn that it is “inevitable” that the flu will make its way more than 9,000 miles to the UK - as the NHS clears beds to make way for the sick.
There have been more than 137,500 influenza cases confirmed in Australia up to the start of September.
While the figure accounts for less than 1% of the population, the amount is more than double the 53,159 cases reported in the same period last year.
It’s also already more than the total amount, 83,092, for the whole of 2016.
The Australian Medical Association says it is preparing for cases to continue to be reported for the next two months.
The worst affected are elderly people over 80 years old and children between the ages of five to nine.
There are genuine fears that the bug will spread to the UK – with claims that it is “inevitable”.
Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University, told the Daily Express that this is the most serious flu outbreak since the 1968 pandemic that started in Hong Kong. That one eventually killed more than a million people worldwide. The professor said: “Based on the Australian experience public health officials need to meet and urgently review emergency planning procedures,” he said. “Public Health England should be working with local authorities and local health services to ensure more hospital beds are freed up. “We need to be prepared, alert and flexible.” Two weeks ago NHS bosses revealed that they want 3,000 extra beds made available before the flu season hits – and have given hospitals eight weeks to free up those taken by so-called ‘bed blockers.’ NHS chief Simon Stevens said at the time: “The signs from Australia and New Zealand, who are just coming out of winter, are that it has been a heavy flu season and many of the hospitals have struggled.”
Based on the Australian experience public health officials need to meet and urgently review emergency planning procedures Prof R. Dingwall