Back to school warning as UK braces for ‘quadruple-demic’ – with nasty diarrhoea bug up 40% in weeks
A NEW school term will bring a boom in bugs like coughs, colds, flu and norovirus, the UK Health Security Agency warns.
Public health chiefs said cases of the winter ills are already rising, with tummy bug norovirus up 40 per cent in a fortnight and higher than usual for the time of year.
They have advised parents to encourage good hygiene to keep their families healthy through the colder months.
Viruses including Covid and RSV spread faster in the winter as people spend more time inside together and cold air weakens immune defences.
The UKHSA said children and adults should wash their hands with soap regularly and use tissues for sniffles.
People should stay home from school or work and not visit others if they get a fever or diarrhoea or vomiting.
Children can continue to go to school with a sore throat, sniffle or light cough.
Keep vaccines up to date
And the agency urged mums and dads to sign up their youngsters for a free flu vaccine at school or the GP, and to check they are up to date on routine jabs like MMR and polio.
Dr Richard Pebody, infection director at the UKHSA, said: “As children return to school after the half term holidays, it’s important that they get off to the best start possible ahead of winter.
“Staying healthy and taking simple steps to reduce the spread of illness will ensure children and their families experience less disruption at this time of year.
“Each winter, we see an increase in respiratory and gastro-intestinal illnesses, but it only takes simple steps to reduce the spread of most of these infections.
“By following advice on good hygiene habits, knowing when to keep your child off school and taking up the opportunity to get vaccinated, parents are protecting their children and the wider school community.”
Adults should follow the same hygiene habits as they will be affected by rises in colds, flu and Covid as the weather turns.
Elderly and vulnerable people are eligible for Covid boosters on the NHS as well as the annual flu vaccine.
NHS preparing for busy winter
Hospitals are preparing for another difficult winter as surging rates of illness and higher rates of health complications increase demand for emergency services.
A&E departments have had one of their busiest years ever so far in 2024.
Medics plan to treat more people in their own homes on “virtual wards” and to send more patients to pharmacies and GPs.
NHS England medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “We know this is likely to be another incredibly busy winter, with extra demand and the threat of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV.
“I encourage anyone eligible for vaccinations to come forward as soon as possible.”
Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist for Pharmica, added: “The risk of a ‘quadruple-demic’ is quite real for some individuals.
“Concurrent outbreaks of Covid, flu, RSV and norovirus during the colder months can trigger back-to-back illness.”
Who is eligible for free Covid, flu and RSV vaccines
In line with JCVI advice, those eligible for a flu vaccine this year include:
From 3 October:
- Those aged 65 years and over
- Those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book)
- Those in long-stay residential care homes
- Carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- Frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme – including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers
- Those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants.
From 1 September:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
Those eligible for an autumn Covid booster are:
- Residents in a care home for older adults
- All adults aged 65 years and over
- Persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in the Green Book, including pregnant women
- Frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults