The mutant 'super flu' is wreaking havoc in a country in Europe. Hospitals full, schools closed, people urged to wear masks

The wave of one “super flu” mutants has led to school closures, rising hospitalizations, calls to wear masks and an outbreak on a cruise ship where dozens of passengers were struck down by norovirus. Authorities are warning of an unprecedented flu season.

Masks return to the street due to infections PHOTO Inquam Photos

School principals in Britain are warning that the rising rate of illness is causing concern, with some institutions going so far as to reduce singing in assemblies to limit the spread of infections. All these measures come against the backdrop of a “super flu” that is spreading rapidly: admissions in London have tripled, people are advised to wear masks, and 100 passengers on a cruise have fallen ill with norovirus, writes the Daily Mail.

At the same time, the NHS North Midlands University Hospitals Trust said “critical incident”as Royal Stoke Hospital and Stafford County Hospital face “extremely high demand”. Patients were asked to use A&E services only for life-threatening emergencies.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran has cancelled “routine visits” to all his hospitals due to “significant pressure” and a “sudden increases in viral respiratory infections, including influenza”. NHS chiefs have also warned that London is facing an unprecedented wave of flu, which is on the rise, with cases already at a record high and “no epidemic peak in sight”.

Wave of cases in schools

One of the worst affected schools is St Martin's in Caerphilly, South Wales, where it was decided to close temporarily after more than 250 pupils and staff fell ill. Middle school principal Lee Jarvis relayed to parents about a “significant outbreak of influenza-like illness”announcing a period of “pause to contain the spread”.

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, cough, headache, fatigue and “general flu-like effects” – with an average recovery time of seven days.

Elsewhere, Congleton High School in Cheshire closed for three days two weeks ago due to the high number of pupils with flu symptoms. Principal Heidi Thurland said the closure between November 26 and 28 was necessary for a deep clean, with teaching moved to the Arbor online learning platform.

Meanwhile, a primary school in Leeds has reduced assembly singing to limit the spread of flu after a sixth of pupils were absent or sent home last week.

Wigton Moor Primary headteacher Elaine Bown said it was “worst year” regarding illnesses since he has been working there, which is almost 14 years. She said 70 children were sick or sent home last Monday alone because of a fever or cough – and in one class almost all students were absent for a day.

In Scotland, East Lothian Council said the rate of medical absences in the last week of November was 8.1% of the school population, compared with 5.3% in the same week last year.

Outbreak on a cruise ship

Meanwhile, about 100 passengers and crew on a cruise ship on a 133-day round-the-world voyage have fallen ill with a potentially dangerous virus.

Those on board the Aida Cruises, which left Hamburg on November 10, showed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

The first cases of norovirus occurred after stops in Boston, New York and Miami, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At least 95 of the 2,007 passengers and six of the 640 crew “reported symptoms during travel”and the staff isolated the infected people after the outbreak started.

What the specialists say

The situation comes as the NHS faces a “historic crisis” this winter amid possible strikes and record numbers of people hospitalized with flu – with experts urging Britons to wear masks.

Officials say the explosion in cases is largely driven by an increase in infections among children ages 5 to 14, with H3N2 accounting for the vast majority of cases. The number of hospitalized patients is now ten times higher than in the same period in 2023.

NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey warns the country could have its worst flu season on record after Australia experienced the same in the summer – and believes pressures on the NHS “in many ways they will resemble the Covid period”.

Officials reissued recommendations saying that anyone who feels sick should wear a mask because it reduces viral particles expelled through the mouth and nose.

Mandatory mask-wearing rules have been introduced in recent weeks in some hospitals in London, Lincolnshire, Shropshire and Oxfordshire amid alarm over the number of infections.

In London, three times as many people are being hospitalized with flu compared to the same time last year – with the NHS pointing the finger at low vaccination rates in the capital.

According to the NHS, by the end of this week between 5,000 and 8,000 beds could be filled with flu patients. Thus, the current record could be exceeded – 5,400.

An average of 1,717 flu patients were admitted daily last week, more than 50% more than last year. But London's daily average was 259 patients – three times the 89 cases a year ago.