‘Superflu’ with extra-mutations sweeps Britain as NHS warns of ‘worst winter ever’
Officials warn that the flu season has begun ‘unusually early’, prompting virologists to call on Britons to resume wearing face masks in crowded spaces like covid restrictions
The NHS is bracing for what senior officials describe as a “historic crisis” this winter, as a heavily mutated strain of flu tears through the country and hospital admissions surge to record seasonal levels.
Health leaders say the so-called “super flu”, a drifted influenza A(H3N2) strain also known as “subclade K”, is proving more infectious and causing more severe illness than the viruses that dominated last year. Experts fear the new variant is leaving people more vulnerable not only to flu itself but also to other circulating seasonal infections. Officials warn that the flu season has begun “unusually early”, prompting virologists to call on Britons to resume wearing face masks in crowded spaces.
Current data suggests children aged five to 14 are driving transmission, with H3N2 accounting for the overwhelming majority of confirmed cases.
NHS England has reported the highest number of flu patients in hospital for this point in the year, leading to concerns that an “unprecedent wave” of infections is building.
Sir Jim Mackey, NHS England’s chief executive, has warned that the UK could be heading into its worst flu season on record, following Australia’s severe outbreak earlier this year.
Professor Nicola Lewis, director of the World Influenza Centre at the Francis Crick Institute, said: “We haven’t seen a virus like this for a while, these dynamics are unusual. H3 is always a hotter virus, it’s a nastier virus, it’s more impactful on the population.”
Amid the growing “flunami”, the UK Health Security Agency has reiterated that masks “continue to be a useful tool in limiting the spread of respiratory viruses in some situations”.
Officials have reissued guidance advising that wearing a well-fitting mask when ill can help reduce the number of virus-laden particles released from the mouth and nose. They say masks can also protect the wearer from infections such as Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Covid-style restrictions are quietly reappearing in parts of the NHS. Hospitals in Lincolnshire and Shropshire have already reinstated mandatory mask use in high-risk areas.
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is asking patients, visitors and staff to wear face coverings in certain wards at Lincoln County, Grantham, Boston Pilgrim and Louth County hospitals.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is issuing similar guidance for the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital, including emergency departments, cancer wards and neonatal units.
Lawrence Young, emeritus professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick, told the Daily Mail: “We’re heading for a very challenging flu season and need to do everything to protect those most at risk of developing severe disease”.
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