Worst flu in 7 years

Cases up 40% in a week as doctors tell sufferers: Don’t go to GP!

BRITONS were yesterday advised not to see their GP with flu as figures confirmed the worst outbreak in seven years.

The number of cases has risen by 40 per cent in a week and family doctors say they are under ‘huge’ pressure.

At least 120 patients have died as a result of the virus in the UK this winter, including 35 in the past week.

The Government’s health protection agency said the country was in the grip of its ‘most significant flu season’ since 2011.

According to the Royal College of GPs, around 31,300 patients saw their family doctor with flu-like illnesses in the week up to January 14. This number has doubled in two weeks and is more than twice as high as the figure from this time last year.

But the College is urging patients not to come to surgeries with flu symptoms – because of the risk of spreading the illness, and to avoid intensifying GPs’ workload.

It said there was ‘no cure’ and that sufferers should rest, drink plenty of fluid and take ibuprofen and paracetamol to ease aches. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, who chairs the College, said: ‘We do encourage patients who are ill to think hard about whether they do need to see a GP – not just in terms of reducing pressures on the NHS, but to minimise the possibility of passing viruses such as flu to other people.’

Figures from Public Health England yesterday showed the number of patients seeing a GP with flu symptoms last week was 53.1 per 100,000 of the population.

This is up from 37.3 per 100,000 the week before, with the highest rates among adults aged 4564 and 65 and over.

PHE said the flu outbreak was not yet an ‘ epidemic’ – which will be declared if the number reaches 109 per 100,000.

But officials are worried the rates will continue to increase, particularly as a result of the cold weather.

There are three strains of flu in circulation: H3N2, or Aussie flu; H1N1, known as swine flu; and B Yamagata – similar to a strain that originated in Yamagata, on Japan’s Honshu island – which is referred to as Japanese flu.

Many patients have been given a jab that does not protect against the third strain, which is causes up to half of cases.

There is evidence the vaccine is ineffective for over-75s, as it does not trigger a strong response from their immune systems – but health officials are still urging patients to get the jab.

PHE data shows 8.21 patients per 100,000 of the population were admitted to hospital with flu last week – an 11 per cent rise on the previous week and three times higher than at the same time last year. PHE’s Professor Paul Cosford said: ‘In terms of hospital admission, this is the most significant flu season since the winter of 2010/11 and the preceding pandemic year of 2009 although it is not an epidemic.

‘The best form of protection against flu is to get the vaccine … and to practise good respiratory and hand hygiene.’

Professor Stokes- Lampard said: ‘It is not too late to receive some benefit from vaccination.’

PHE said there had been a ‘significant excess’ of deaths among over-65s in England this week as a result of flu and cold weather. Exact numbers will not be known till later this year.

Figures from NHS England showed an average of 94.9 per cent of beds were occupied last week, a slight fall on the previous week but still well above the 85 per cent safe level.

An NHS England spokesman said pressures were ‘abating’ and hospitals were ‘continuing to cope’.

‘Minimise possibility of spreading’