Concern over flu and RSV as Covid stays level

Covid infections stay reasonably unchangeable crossed the UK, but different viruses specified arsenic flu, norovirus and RSV are increasing, latest information shows.

The flu play has started aboriginal and immoderate children nether 5 are ending up successful hospital, wellness officials say.

They are besides reminding parents that each 2 and three-year-olds tin person a flu nasal spray vaccine.

Another communal wintertime microorganism called RSV, which tin origin thorax infections, is besides connected the emergence successful young children.

It tin beryllium peculiarly terrible successful the under-twos, particularly those with underlying wellness problems.

Many young children person small earthy extortion from mean wintertime viruses due to the fact that of the pandemic.

Dr Conall Watson, advisor epidemiologist for the UK Health Security Agency, said: "If you are ill, debar visiting babies. Smoking astir babies besides increases their hazard of terrible RSV infection."

Advice is to question assistance from 111 oregon your GP if your children person immoderate antithetic breathing oregon feeding difficulties, oregon question exigency attraction if they look earnestly unwell.

Flu levels person been precise debased successful the UK for the past 2 winters due to the fact that nary flu was spreading during lockdowns.

However, this autumn, flu has begun to circulate aboriginal and astatine a higher level than successful the mean year.

And infirmary admittance rates for flu are highest successful children nether four, and radical aged 85 and over.

In a atrocious winter, similar 2017, flu caused a large spike successful infirmary admissions, truthful radical are being urged to person their flu and Covid vaccines.

Only 16-17% of 2 and three-year-olds person had a flu vaccine, compared with 60% of radical 65 and over.

There is simply a mixed representation for Covid infections crossed the UK, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Infections went down successful Wales, up successful Scotland and Northern Ireland and stayed astir the aforesaid successful England.

About 2 cardinal radical successful the UK were infected with coronavirus successful the week ending 17 October, equivalent to 1 successful 30 radical - akin to estimates from the week before.

"It remains excessively aboriginal to accidental from the information whether we are seeing a turning constituent successful the level of infections - which stay precocious crossed the countries," said Kara Steel, elder statistician for the Covid-19 corruption survey.

Infections were highest successful radical aged 50 and over, and determination was a emergence successful infections successful secondary schoolhouse property children.

In the UK nations, Covid infected: