Nick Trigglehealth correspondent
The amount of influenza circulating in the UK is starting to decline. Latest data suggests.
The UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) said it was encouraging news ahead of Christmas, but warned that the virus could certainly rebound in the new year.
UKHSA is taking a range of measures to monitor influenza incidence, including sample testing in hospitals and GP practices.
The latest data covers up to last Sunday, with UKHSA concluding that the virus is circulating at a “moderate level”.
Similar trends can be seen in other parts of the UK. Public Health Scotland has announced that the number of infections has been falling over the past two weeks.
England’s decline came after government officials said last week that spreads were stabilizing after weeks of increases.
This year’s influenza pandemic started early due to mutated strains of the virus, raising concerns about the strain on hospitals.
NHS England hospital admissions total data has not been published this week.
However, UKHSA sample tests showed signs that admissions were starting to fall, suggesting predictions of a record number of people being admitted to hospital with the virus over the holiday period will not materialize.
UKHSA infectious disease expert Dr Jamie Lopez-Bernal said this was “encouraging news”.
But he added: “The virus is still very much with us and everyone, especially those most vulnerable to winter bugs, needs to protect themselves or be careful not to spread these viruses to others.”
“This is especially important at Christmas, when families gather together to celebrate, so if you have cold or flu-like symptoms you should try to minimize your contact with others.”
He said there are simple steps we can all take to protect each other when mixing indoors.
“Washing your hands regularly and ensuring good indoor ventilation can help. We also encourage anyone who has symptoms and needs to go out to consider wearing a face covering in indoor public spaces. These simple measures can help reduce the spread of infection.”
“Influenza has always been unpredictable and is still circulating, and as we have seen in the past few years, it could return even more in the new year,” he warned.
