"The NHS remains on high alert over flu, health bosses say, but there are clear signs the surge in the virus has come to an end for now at least. Community spread appears to have stabilised, the UK Health Security Agency says. Meanwhile, the rise in hospital cases has slowed. And with just over 3,000 patients in hospital in England with the virus, the dire prediction by NHS chief executive Sir Jim Mackay of "between 5,000 and 8,000" cases has not materialised."
"The major difference between the 2025 flu season and the last three years is that the virus started spreading a few weeks earlier than normal. When someone goes to their GP or hospital with flu-like symptoms, they can be swabbed and tested for influenza, Covid, RSV and other viruses. UKHSA then records the percentage of those tests that come back positive for flu."
"Some virologists have linked the earlier flu season this year to the type of virus that is circulating - known as H3N2. Historically, seasons dominated by that strain tend to be more severe, with larger numbers of hospitalisations in older people, in particular. H3N2 has not been the main form of flu detected in the UK for three years. Scientists also spotted a further shift in the genetic makeup of the virus over the summer."
The NHS remains on high alert as flu circulation began several weeks earlier than in recent years. Community spread has stabilised at a medium level, according to the UK Health Security Agency, while the rise in hospital cases has slowed. England has just over 3,000 patients in hospital with flu, lower than earlier forecasts of 5,000–8,000. The dominant circulating strain is H3N2, which historically produces more severe seasons and higher hospitalisation rates among older people. A genetic shift in the virus over the summer may have accelerated autumn spread. The pattern is similar across all four UK nations, and further surges remain possible.
Read at www.bbc.com
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