Mutant Flu Strain โfuelsโข Early NHS Crisis asโฃ Hospital Admissions Surge
London, UK – โฃThe National Health Service is facing anโ early winter crisis as a new, highly transmissible strainโ of influenza โsweeps across Britain, driving up hospital admissions and exacerbating existing pressures.โ Coupled with a planned five-day strike โby junior doctors beginning December 17th,the situation is raisingโค serious concerns about the capacity ofโฃ the healthcare system to cope โขwith the anticipated surge โin infections.
Theโ dominant strain โขcirculating isโฃ aโ mutated version of influenza A(H3N2),โ referred to by some expertsโ as โ”subclade K” or “super flu.” Data from โคthe first NHS winter situation report reveals a meaningful increase โฃinโข flu-related โขhospitalizations.an average โof 1,717 flu patients occupiedโค bedsโ in England each dayโข last week, with 69 requiring critical care.โ This represents a 56% increase โcompared to the same week in 2023 (1,098โ patients,39 in โcritical care),and is substantially higher than figures from 2022 (772โ patients) โand 2023 (160 patients).
“H3 is always a hotter virus,โค it’s a nastier virus, it’s โmore impactful onโ the population,” โstatedโฃ Professor Nicola Lewis, directorโค of theโค World Influenza Center at the Francisโค Crick Institute.โ She added that โฃthe current viral dynamicsโ are “unusual.”
Experts suggest the new strain may be โคmore infectious and cause more severe illness than previous iterations. Therโค are also concerns itโ could increase vulnerability to othre illnesses. In response, some hospitals in Lincolnshire and Shropshire have alreadyโข reintroduced mandatory mask-wearing in certain โareas. Virology experts are broadly urging โคpublic adoption of face masksโ as a preventative measure.
The unfolding health crisis is further elaborate by ongoing industrialโค action. The British Medicalโ Association has announced a fresh round of strikes by junior doctors, scheduled to begin on December 17th,โ marking the fourteenth walkout since March 2023 in a continuing dispute over pay and working conditions.
The NHS is bracing for a potentially “unprecedented wave” of infections as the winter progresses, and officials โare closely monitoring the situation.