The number of people hospitalised with flu has more than doubled in a week, while Covid-19 infections are also surging, latest figures show.
The first flu death of this winter season was recorded last week, and one person is in intensive care with the virus. Flu levels are expected to continue rising through Christmas and into the new year, according to the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The rise in respiratory illness is putting hospitals under greater strain, but levels of flu remain well below the levels recorded this time last year.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is in decline from record levels, though 300 people, mostly children, are hospitalised with this virus.
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“High levels of respiratory viruses are currently circulating including influenza, Covid-19 and RSV,” HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said. “Our emergency departments are also under increasing pressure, with attendances in over-75s up 19 per cent on the same period last year.”
Hospitals are dealing with a significant number of outbreaks of respiratory illness, leading to ward closures, he said. “We are using all available resources and additional supports including private hospitals to respond and we will continue to do so.”
Some 631 cases of flu were notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre last week, up from 283 the previous week. The highest number of cases was among children aged under 15, followed by over-65s.
Hospitalisations for flu increased to 191, from 95 the previous week. Four outbreaks were notified; three in hospitals and nursing homes and one in hospitality.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases increased from 509 to 715. The exact prevalence of Covid-19 is not known as only limited testing is carried out.
The number of hospital patients testing positive for Covid-19 jumped from 254 to 382. There were four Covid-19 deaths last week and 56 outbreaks in healthcare and residential institutions.
Latest survey data from England and Scotland show the prevalence of Covid-19 there rising to 4.2 per cent, from 1.8 per cent two weeks ago.
RSV infections fell for the second week in a row. Hospitalisations declined to 300 from a peak of 366, while notified cases were down to 800, from a peak of 985.
Due to the increased circulation of flu, the HSE has opened walk-in clinics to administer the nasal flu vaccine to children aged two to 17 years.
The number of patients on trolleys, as measured by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, dropped to 315 on Thursday as the traditional pre-Christmas clear-out of hospitals got under way.
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