Cases of winter flu ‘rising rapidly’ with school-aged children worst affected
Cases of winter flu are “rising rapidly” – with England’s health boss urging those eligible to get vaccinated.
Cases are highest among those aged five to 14, with 16.9% of tests positive for flu – up from 11.5% last week.
Sharing the data on X, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: “Influenza is now rising rapidly. Antiviral flu medicines can now be used in primary care.”
“If you are eligible please get vaccinated.”
The number of cases is in line with the 2022 to 2023 season, which peaked on 20 December, with 33% of tests positive for flu.
Last year, the peak was much smaller – with 16.7% of tests positive – and came more than a month later, on 27 January.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates while influenza rates are increasing, they remain at “low activity levels”.
Figures show the positive return rate for flu tests was 7.9% on 27 November, the most recent date for which data is available.
Flu is one of the illnesses circulating in the UK that have been dubbed the “quad-demic”.
COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus are all expected to peak at different times during the season.
Dr Alexander Allen, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Flu is the cause of the rise in winter illnesses that we’ve seen in the past week, with emergency department attendances also increasing.
“Anyone still eligible for the flu, COVID-19 or RSV vaccines should get booked in ahead of the busy winter period, when we expect flu, and other respiratory viruses to spread between people more easily.
“Vaccination offers the best defence against these diseases, and now is the time to get protected before Christmas.”
THERE ARE HINTS THIS SEASON COULD BE A BAD ONE
Flu season is upon us once again. The big question, not just for anyone looking forward to a healthy Christmas break but for a creaking NHS which can be crippled by a severe flu season, is: how bad will it be?
The Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty took to social media to remind all those who are eligible to come forward for a flu jab. This is a sensible reminder in any given year – but there were some hints in the data he shared that this season might be a hard one.
Compared to last year flu cases have been rising faster earlier. In the last couple of weeks, the number of flu tests coming back positive has increased sharply. The speed of the rise is in line with the increase seen in the 2022-23 flu season.
No flu season is the same – the severity can vary due to the strains of flu circulating, the level of vaccination in the community, and the weather – but the 2022-23 season was, according to recent analysis, the worst in the UK in five years.
There are some other concerning signs – flu cases appear to be highest among school aged children– despite the fact vaccine uptake in this group is the highest it’s been.
For the time being at least, infection and hospitalisation rates in the most vulnerable groups – the very young and the elderly — remain low, although they are increasing.
The advice, as it is every season is for anyone who is eligible for a flu jab – children from 2 to 11, pregnant women, everyone over 65, vulnerable groups and health and social care workers – should get a flu jab if they haven’t already had one.
Australia has worst flu season on record
Australia has experienced its worst flu season on record.
Figures from Australia’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System showed 358,256 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu.
This beat 2019’s previous high of 313,615 cases and comes amid a declining rate in flu vaccinations.
Pic: iStock
How can you protect yourself?
You can catch the flu all year round, but it is especially common in winter.
The NHS says symptoms include: a sudden high temperature, an aching body, feeling exhausted, a dry cough, a sore throat, headache and difficulty sleeping.
“Vaccines work against the quad-demic,” Dr David Lloyd, a GP, previously told Sky News.
In fact, by getting vaccinated you halve your risk of catching any of the four illnesses, he said.
The NHS provides vaccinations against three of the four illnesses; flu, COVID-19 and, as of September this year, RSV.
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The flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in autumn and early winter. You can get it for free if you are over 65, have a long-term health condition, are pregnant, live in a care home, are a carer for someone, or live with someone with a weakened immune system.
Front line health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.
Analysis of the latest NHS vaccination data showed 335 vaccinations were given per minute for COVID, flu and RSV on average from 30 September to 17 November.
This works out to around 3.4 million vaccinations a week.
Weather warnings have been issued across the UK for strong winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain over the next few days.
A Met Office yellow warning for gusty conditions – 65-75mph in places – begins from 4pm today in north and northwest Scotland until Thursday morning.
That is followed by a second warning for strong and gusty winds on Thursday and Friday with “disruption possible” on the roads and railways.
Get the five-day forecast where you are
It covers an area of the UK from Northern Ireland, extending across parts of Scotland, north Wales, northern England, the north Midlands and East Anglia.
Two wind warnings have been issued for Wednesday in northern Scotland and a larger area of the UK for Thursday. Pic: Met Office
Inland gusts could hit between 40-50mph but along exposed coasts through the North Channel and Irish Sea it might reach 60-70mph.
Forecasters also predict heavy showers at times, until the warning expires at 6am on Sunday.
The Met Office advises, those on the coast, to “stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves”.
A third warning for strong winds and heavy rain also comes into force – for England and Wales – from Friday afternoon.
Forecasters are predicting these winds “may quite widely gust to around 40-50mph” but “perhaps locally nearer 80mph”.
This could cause difficult driving conditions, travel disruption and flooding in places, it has warned.
Around 15-25mm (0.6-1in) of rain may fall quite widely, but “exposed higher ground in the north and west – particularly parts of Wales – could see closer to 50-70mm (2-2.7in) and are at risk of flooding.
UK flooding risk returns
The Met Office said there is a slight chance of damage to buildings, homes and businesses being flooded, difficult driving conditions, road closures and power cuts.
Some snow on higher ground above about 200m (656ft) is also predicted.
Around the UK, shipping areas have been warned of intense winds.
Two areas – Faeroes and Bailey – are on alert for storm force 10 and the risk of violent storm force 11, which involves gusts of 69 knots (79mph).
That would be ranked as the second highest level, just below hurricane force.
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Cases of winter flu ‘rising rapidly’
Concerns after Storms Bert and Conall
Several communities are still recovering from damaging flooding caused by Storm Bert between 22 – 25 November.
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Businesses ‘destroyed’ by Storm Bert
Winds of more than 80mph were recorded across the UK during the height of the storm.
The Met Office says the weekend of 23-24 November was “exceptionally wet” across South Wales and South West England, with more than 150mm (5.9in) falling in some upland areas.
Storm Bert caused the River Taff to burst its banks and flood homes in Pontypridd. File pic: PA
On 23 November, the average amount of rainfall across the UK was 24mm (1in) making it the wettest day since October 2020.
Among dozens of flood warnings that were issued, a rare severe flood warning – meaning a danger to life – was put in place for the River Nene near Northampton.
The Billing Aquadrome was badly flooded by the River Nene during Storm Bert. File pic: PA
Storm Bert was followed by Conall on 27 November which dropped up to 30mm (1.18in) of rain across southern coastal counties of the UK.
It did cause some flooding, but the Met Office says the disruption was more isolated than Bert.
UK
Nestle memo reveals BBC knew about ‘unacceptable’ behaviour from Gregg Wallace on factory show last year
The BBC was alerted to Gregg Wallace’s “unacceptable” behaviour while filming Inside The Factory more than a year and a half ago, Sky News can confirm.
A memo to staff at the Nestle factory in York shows concerns were raised with both the broadcaster and production company Voltage TV after Wallace’s final visit in February 2023.
The memo, which was shared on the company intranet, says the “experience of some of the team taking part in the filming had not been a pleasant one” and had “compromised” Nestle’s values.
An accompanying letter from Nestle’s head of media relations to the factory manager states: “We have written to the production company… and spoken to the BBC to bring our unacceptable experience to their attention in the hope that it is not repeated in other workplaces around the UK.”
While the letter does not name Wallace directly, it is understood to be in reference to him.
Wallace, who is best known for being a MasterChef presenter, is facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour from more than a dozen people across a range of shows over a 17-year period.
His lawyers have said it’s “entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature”.
Wallace quit as co-presenter of Inside the Factory in March 2023, saying he intended to focus on other TV commitments, and his young son, who is autistic.
At the time, there were reports the 60-year-old former greengrocer had offended some staff at the York factory with inappropriate comments.
The company’s memo reiterates a “zero-tolerance approach towards any allegation of discrimination, harassment or bullying of any kind in the workplace, whether this be by an employee, contractor, or visitor”.
Wallace presents MasterChef alongside John Torode (left). Pic: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
It was the programme’s fifth visit to a Nestle site and its third to York, but the memo says “we will not be working with Inside the Factory again in the future” as the show “did not meet our high standards of respect”.
“We will not tolerate any kind of racism, misogyny, homophobia, bullying, exclusion or harassment and we have strict policies in place to deal swiftly and decisively with this kind of behaviour,” the memo adds.
Sky News has contacted representatives for Wallace, and the BBC and Voltage TV for comment.
Earlier on Tuesday, the BBC confirmed it was pulling three repeat episodes of Inside The Factory from the Christmas schedule.
It told Sky News it would not be removing them from iPlayer “at this stage”.
Two celebrity MasterChef Christmas specials have also been removed from the schedule.
Wallace has temporarily stepped down from the cooking show while the complaints are externally reviewed by a law firm.
Groping allegation
More allegations against the presenter surfaced on Tuesday – with two women claiming Wallace had inappropriately touched them.
One told the BBC he “groped” her bottom, while another alleged he laughed after touching her bottom “with his waist and penis” when brushing past her.
A third claimed Wallace’s penis was partially exposed in his dressing room in what she felt was a “power play”.
The Guardian also reported a complaint that he once asked a sign language interpreter to translate “big boobs” and “sexy bum” in front of the audience at the BBC Good Food Show.
Sky News has also asked the BBC and Wallace’s representatives for comment on these claims.
An increasing number of people have accused the presenter of inappropriate sexual comments in recent days, including a former contestant who told Sky News one remark left her crying in the toilets.
Jackie Kearney said she had been “troubled” by Wallace’s “household favourite status” as she felt he was “a bit of a sleaze behind closed doors”.
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‘If it’s just banter then why am I crying in the toilet?’
Another former contestant told Sky News the claims are just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to MasterChef.
He claimed to have witnessed a “toxic environment” on set and the problem was “larger” than just the presenter.
On Sunday, Wallace responded with a social media video dismissing his accusers as “middle-class women of a certain age”.
The remark prompted a huge backlash, with even Downing Street commenting.
He apologised in another clip on Monday, saying he “wasn’t in a good head space” when he posted the previous video.
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Wallace sorry for ‘middle-class women’ comments
Read more:
What are the allegations – and what has Wallace said?
‘Middle-aged women’: An epic failure in crisis management
What have the BBC and producers said?
Banijay UK has appointed law firm Lewis Silkin to lead the investigation.
A spokesperson said the company takes complaints “incredibly seriously” but will not comment on individual allegations while the external investigation is ongoing.
“It is important to note that MasterChef welfare processes are regularly adapted and strengthened and there are clear protocols to support both crew and contributors,” the Banijay spokesperson said.
“These include multiple ways of reporting issues, including anonymously.”
In response to reports multiple complaints had been raised with the BBC, a source for the corporation said it would not comment on individuals or any internal HR processes, but that it would be “wrong to report the BBC has done nothing if or when matters have been raised with us – not least because it is already being widely reported there were interventions in both 2017 and 2018 where action was taken”.
Last week, a BBC spokesperson said any issues raised are taken seriously and there are “robust processes in place” to deal with them.
“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated,” they said.
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