Europe is facing a rise in superflu incidents where hospitals in the UK have gone forward to declare critical incidents while schools have been ordered shut as cases surge.
The strong circulating strain of influenza this winter comprises a drifted variant of Influenza A (H3N2). This flu season began earlier than expected and has already given rise to hospitalizations at levels much higher than in recent times. Meanwhile, hospital admissions with flu are said to be up by nearly 50 to 56% when compared with the same time last year.
Several different hospital trusts, including the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, have declared critical incidents due to a rise in demand for emergency departments and different wards.
In so many places, hospitals have gone forward to roll out COVID-era precautions and thresholds for admitting or redirecting non-emergnecy patients. At the same time, warnings were issued to avoid visiting hospitals unless it’s deemed necessary.
Despite these surges and closures, the official guidance from the government remains that shutting schools needs to only take place under extreme circumstances.
The rationale behind this is to prevent direct contact with those and revive some infection control habits, like wearing masks for those experiencing respiratory symptoms in public and on transport systems. This also entails getting the flu vaccinations while staying home when not well.