Covid and flu hospital admissions reach highest level in UK as US hospitals bring back mask mandates
Covid and flu hospital admissions are at highest level in the UK this winter
PA
Hospital admissions in England of people with flu or Covid-19 are running at their highest level so far this winter, figures show.
The admission rate for patients with flu stood at 6.8 per 100,000 people in the week to December 31, up from 5.1 the previous week and the sixth weekly rise in a row.
It means flu admissions are now classed as having a “medium impact” on hospitals, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Levels are lower than at this stage a year ago, when the rate stood at 12.7 per 100,000 and the UK was in the middle of its worst flu season for a decade.
But the rise in admissions is likely to pile further pressure on NHS hospitals in England, which are currently facing the longest strike in history by junior doctors, higher-than-expected staff sickness and a jump in other seasonal viruses.
There has been a return of masks in some US hospitals but not yet in the UK
PA
Admissions of people testing positive for Covid-19 stood at 5.2 per 100,000 last week, up from 4.8 the previous week and the fifth weekly rise in a row.
Flu admissions are highest among the 85-and-over age group, with a rate of 36.1 per 100,000 people last week, up from 21.8 the previous week.
The next highest rate is among children aged four and under, at 17.4 per 100,000, up from 15.3.
Covid-19 admissions are also highest among the over-85s, at 55.0 per 100,000 people, followed by 23.9 for 75 to 84-year-olds.
It comes as hospitals in at least four US states reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of Covid, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness.
Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told WABC TV on Wednesday that mask mandates had resumed at all 11 of the city's public hospitals, 30 health centers and five long-term care facilities.
Back in the UK, the strike by junior doctors began at 7am on January 3 and runs until 7am on January 9 putting extra strain on NHS staff.
The action is part of a long-running dispute over pay, which has already seen 1.2 million inpatient and outpatient appointments rescheduled.
NHS England medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “As the longest strike in the history of the NHS begins, during one of the busiest and most challenging weeks of the year, the health service is experiencing the winter pressures of flu and Covid combined with the huge disruption of industrial action.
“We know hospitals are already experiencing significant demand with other NHS services also under immense pressure – and although staff are doing the very best for patients with extensive preparations in place, there is no denying the NHS has started the year in a very difficult position.
“This latest round of strike action will not only have an impact on this week but will have an ongoing effect on the weeks and months ahead, as we struggle to recover services and cope with heavy demand.”
More data on the performance of hospitals in England will be published on Friday, including ambulance handover delays and the number of hospital beds occupied by people with flu, Covid-19 or norovirus.