24 KILLED BY DEADLY FLU
1,000 hospitalised as fatalities expected to rise in coming weeks
THE flu virus has claimed the lives of 24 people this winter – with further deaths expected.
More than 1,000 sufferers have been hospitalised with 50 ending up in intensive care.
The outbreak is believed to be at its peak and the HSE’S Damien Mccallion said: “The numbers are a lot higher than anyone would want.
“We anticipate hospitals being under pressure for three or four weeks.”
THE death toll from the flu epidemic is expected to soar – with up to 110 fatalities.
The outbreak has already claimed 24 lives in Ireland. More than 1,000 people have been admitted to hospital with the deadly bug since before Christmas, with 50 ending up in intensive care.
Last week the HSE confirmed fewer than 10 people had died prior to the end of the first week in January but the latest figures reveal the virus has tightened its grip.
Public health specialist Dr Kevin Kelleher said the deaths occurred across all age groups and the current outbreak – the fifth-worst since 2000 – is expected to last another five weeks.
He added: “Last week or this week will be the peak. There’s been just been a
little bit of an increase this week, nowhere near the same degree of upsurge we’ve seen in the previous two or three weeks.
“So this period we’ve had 1,000 people hospitalised and around 50 admitted to ICU so far. They’ll keep on going up.” The main virus fuelling the outbreak is Influenza B – 65% of all cases – which is not covered by the vaccine. The next most prominent is the AH3N2 or so-called Aussie flu – 35%
of cases. It is expected fatalities will continue to multiply with between 60 and 110 deaths anticipated before the end of the winter season.
Dr Kelleher said infants, children and adults are all being affected with a noticeable increase in the number of people aged between 15 and 64 getting the flu.
He added: “The vast majority of outbreaks are either in hospitals or residential care facilities which makes moving patients in, out, between hospitals and long-term care facilities slightly more problematic.” The doctor also claimed the number of patients being admitted on to wards has added to the trolley crisis with 394 people waiting for a bed yesterday – more than a 4% increase on the same day last year.
This has exacerbated the outbreak because the isolation required for those with the virus has been prevented by a lack of bed capacity.
Damien Mccallion, National Director for the HSE’S Winter Initiative, said: “The numbers are a lot higher than anyone would want at the moment.
“We anticipate hospitals and community services being under pressure for the next three or four weeks.”
IT is very worrying that 24 people have died this winter from the flu outbreak which is almost at its peak.
The HSE said yesterday more than 100,000 have been hospitalised since before Christmas.
Experts warn the outbreak will last another four to five weeks and it is estimated more than 60 people may die.
However, the situation is made even worse as our hospitals are at breaking point – with 394 people on trolleys yesterday.
If patients can’t even get a bed they certainly can’t be kept in isolation and controlling the spread of flu in hospital is made more difficult – with potentially catastrophic consequences.