DEADLY TOLL OF FLU CRISIS
Infection rates in Scotland soar as teenager dies in hospital
SCOTLAND is in the grip of a deadly flu crisis, with the number of people falling ill doubling in the past week alone.
GP appointments for patients with flu symptoms are the highest in the UK and almost triple the rate seen in England.
The figures have sparked concerns about how Scotland’s ‘ill-equipped’ NHS will cope.
The rate of winter deaths is ‘very high’ and experts are investigating how many have been caused by the virus.
Yesterday it emerged that a Ross-shire teenager who had been suffering from flu died after developing pneumonia. Bethany Walker, 18, a former deputy head girl, lost her fight for life after being airlifted from her home in Applecross to hospital in Inverness.
This season’s flu jab protects against the ‘most common’ strains, deputy chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith said yesterday. But it is not effective against so-called ‘Aussie flu’, which is also circulating in Scotland.
Last night, critics said the SNP government had been warned for months about the challenges the health service would face this winter – but it seemed to have been ‘completely ill-equipped’.
According to new NHS figures, the rate of GP consultations for patients with flu symptoms in Scotland was 107.2 per 100,000 population in the first week of January.
In England the figure was far lower, at 37.3 per 100,000 population. The Scottish rate is
more than double that seen in the previous week, and four times higher than the same week in 2017, when 24.6 people in every 100,000 had the virus.
Excess winter deaths are ‘very high’, Health Protection Scotland (HPS) said, although it is not yet known how many are linked to flu, as well as factors such as weather-related falls, fractures and other illnesses.
Scotland’s flu status has been raised from ‘normal’ seasonal activity to ‘moderate’, meaning the number of cases is higher than that typically seen at this time of year.
People who are eligible for free NHS flu jabs are being urged to get them.
The latest figures were revealed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Holyrood yesterday. Speaking about the huge pressure on the NHS, she said: ‘Much of that increased demand has been down to an increase in flu rates over this winter.
‘In spite of all of that – thanks to winter planning, thanks to the efforts of our NHS staff – our NHS is coping admirably, so we continue to see even at the height of these pressures almost eight out of ten people attending A&E being dealt with within four hours, and we have not
‘The SNP has been warned for months’
required to sanction a blanket cancellation of planned operations as has been seen elsewhere in the UK, so I think all of us owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those in the NHS.’
Hospitals have, according to HPS, reported ‘significant bed pressure’.
So far this winter, Scotland’s care homes have seen 53 flu outbreaks. A total of 53 patients have required intensive care treatment, eight of whom have died.
Some hospitals have closed wards or suspended visiting to limit the spread of the virus, and several have postponed operations to cope with the influx.
A&E departments saw the highest number of patients over the festive season in years. During the two-week period, attendances were up 10 per cent compared to the previous year.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The flu outbreak is hitting Scotland worse than anywhere else in the UK, and our NHS staff are working hard to deal with that.
‘But this should not have taken the SNP government by surprise.
‘It has been warned for months about the challenges it would face this winter, yet it seems to have been completely ill-equipped.
‘The Nationalists are in sole charge of health, they cannot point the finger at anyone else.’
Dr Smith said: ‘While we’ve still got a couple of months of winter left, this week’s statistics provide further evidence that the vaccine is a good match against the current most common strains.
‘I would encourage anyone in an eligible group to get vaccinated – it is the best defence against flu. The best way to stop the spread of flu is to follow simple hygiene practices. Wash your hands often with warm water and soap, use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze, and bin those tissues as quickly as possible.
‘It is so important that people are aware of the steps they can take to avoid being struck down by the virus, and know that it’s not too late to be vaccinated.’
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘These statistics confirm what we have been hearing up and down the country that the complexity of treating flu, including appropriate diagnosis and segregation to avoid cross-contamination, is putting our health system under significant pressure.
‘Staff up and down the country are doing a remarkable job, and I am continuing to visit hospitals to thank them personally for their hard work and dedication during this busy time.’
There are many different forms of flu circulating around the world, but four main strains are being seen in Britain. One of the most common is H3N2, dubbed ‘Aussie flu’ after it struck Australia hard last winter. It is more likely to affect the elderly, who do not respond well to the current vaccine.
Another, the H1N1 strain – known as ‘swine flu’ – is generally more likely to hit children, who respond well to vaccination.
In the past it was only commonly caught from pigs, but that changed in 2009 when the virus started spreading rapidly among humans.
B/Yamagata has been seen in 63 lab cases so far this winter. Only people who have received the ‘four strain’ vaccine – which is being slowly rolled out after its introduction this winter – are protected against Yamagata.
People who have received the normal ‘three strain’ vaccine are not protected.
One form that has hardly appeared this winter is B/Victoria. People who have had the normal three-strain vaccine are protected against it. There have only been four confirmed cases.