#norovirus

#norovirus

In the week up to Sunday there were 2,660 flu cases a day on average in hospital and NHS England said the numbers had continued rising this week. NHS England said it was the equivalent of having three hospitals full of flu patients, with some reporting nearly one in 10 beds occupied by patients with the virus. Officials said the numbers had continued rising this week with fears it may top 5,000 by the weekend.

These figures show just how dangerous the situation is getting across our NHS hospitals. Wards and emergency departments were full to start with but now a surging flu virus could soon overwhelm them. With the peak not even here yet and corridor care already rife across the NHS, nursing staff are deeply worried about how they will maintain the safety and dignity of patients. We're clear that treating people in unsafe, non-clinical areas like corridors, store cupboards and offices is not an acceptable response. Ministers need to act to protect patients this winter.

By the numbers: Cases of norovirus have doubled over the last few weeks, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 14% of tests for norovirus came back positive during the week of Nov. 15, double the roughly 7% positivity three months ago, the CDC data show. Test positivity, though imperfect, generally helps health officials understand how many people are confirmed to have an illness when it is suspected.