UK could face ‘twindemic’ if winter flu surge combines with new Covid wave

Posted: September 20th 2022

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It seems like we get the same refrain every year in this context, with an increasing tendency to look at what is happening in the antipodes to help predict things over here. Lets hope that may rural communities are not put into a double infection dip through the rise of flu as well as covid. This story tells us:

A devastating flu season is expected this winter, and it could combine with rising numbers of Covid cases to create a dangerous “twindemic” scenario, experts fear.

There are concerns it could overload the NHS, which is in crisis trying to cope with record backlogs and waiting times.

Figures from the southern hemisphere, which usually foretell what will happen in the UK, indicate a flu surge two months earlier than normal, driven by under-30s.

It suggests a spike in flu hospital admissions in Britain could begin in October, including many children. One estimate is the flu season could be twice as large as normal.

In addition, Covid infections could increase in the coming weeks as respiratory infections rise, the UK Health Security Agency has warned.