Spike in flu cases sees 26 hospitalised in past week

There has been a spike in flu cases , by 58 per cent, in the past week as the Health Service Executive urges people to get vaccinated.

Across Ireland, 26 people with flu had to be hospitalised last week, which is a large increase . Only 56 people were hospitalised in the previous 18 weeks of flu season that started in October (82 cases in total).

HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre Dr Joan O' Donnell said cases of influenza-like illnesses were above the threshold level for the first time this flu season, which meant it was was actively spreading.

Reported cases have risen 58 per cent, increasing from 20.5 per 100,000 of the population in the last week of January to 32.4 per 100,000 in the following week(February 3rd-9th).

“It is still not too late for people who are at risk of the complications of flu to get vaccinated against the disease if they have not already done so,” Dr O’ Donnell said.

The specialist in public health medicine said the vaccine was free for people in the high risk group including children with chronic illness, older than 65, pregnant women, morbidly obese people and people with lowered immunity from disease or treatment, who were particularly vulnerable.

Dr O’ Donnell said symptoms developed over a few hours and included a high temperature, sore muscles, headache, dry cough and sore throat.

She said the signs were different to a common cold, which tended to come on more gradually and a normal temperature.

Dr O’ Donnell advised anyone who gets flu to stay at home , drink plenty of fluids and use over-the-counter remedies to ease symptoms.

She said people in the high risk group should contact their GP.

Research by the HSE centre estimated that over the last eight flu seasons between 200 and 500 people in Ireland died each year from flu related illnesses, and up to 1000 people could die in a particularly severe flu season.