The UK is experiencing a surge in flu cases, leading hospitals to reintroduce mandatory face mask wearing in clinical areas. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises the public to wear face coverings, practice good hand hygiene, and stay home if they are experiencing flu symptoms.
The UK Health Security Agency is encouraging the public to wear face masks as flu cases surge. Professor Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at UKHSA, advised those with symptoms to stay home and limit contact with others, particularly vulnerable individuals. She stated: 'If you have symptoms and need to leave the house, our advice remains that you should wear a face covering. Washing hands regularly and using and disposing tissues in bins can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses.
' Last year's flu season saw 14,500 excess deaths, and this year's flu cases are even higher. In the last week of December alone, there were 4,689 hospitalisations due to flu in England. This number rose to 5,074 by Sunday, 29 December, a significant increase from 1,190 at the end of November. Several UK hospitals have reinstated mandatory face mask wearing in clinical areas, a measure last seen during the coronavirus pandemic. Over 200 people are currently in intensive care battling the flu, and there are concerns that falling temperatures and the return to work and school could cause these numbers to skyrocket. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, East Surrey Hospital, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are among the institutions that have implemented safety measures, including mandatory face masks and hand washing, and visitor restrictions. Paula Gardner, the interim chief nursing officer for Shrewsbury and Telford, has urged all patients, visitors, and staff to wear masks and maintain good hand hygiene. This follows similar mask rules introduced by hospitals in Lincolnshire last month. The NHS states that flu symptoms can appear very quickly and may include a variety of signs. These symptoms are similar in children, but they may also experience ear pain and seem less active
Flu Face Masks Hospitals Health Security Agency Respiratory Illnesses
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