A woman hospitalized with flu says reports of a 'quad-demic' are not scaremongering but a frightening reality. Katrina Melville was admitted to hospital for six days before Christmas after experiencing severe flu symptoms.
As several NHS trusts declare critical incidents amid soaring flu cases, one woman hospitalised by the virus says reports of a quad-demic are not scaremongering as it is frighteningly real. Katrina Melville, 56, was hospitalised with flu for six days and says she was struggling to breathe and is still very poorly. Katrina Melville, 56, who lives in Manchester, was left struggling to breathe and was admitted to hospital where she tested positive for flu the week before Christmas.
She described the illness as “like nothing I’ve ever had before” and has left her completely wiped out.. “I couldn’t breathe properly or talk and I ended up in hospital for six days and I’m still not right.” The woman's experience comes as flu, Covid-19, the cold-like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are swamping NHS hospitals, with some patients facing 50-hour waits in A&E.as they are being overwhelmed with the outbreaks and an unusually high number of infections requiring patients to be isolated for treatment.Melville, a mum-of-two and grandmother, first began experiencing cold-like symptoms which wouldn’t go away and then she lost her sense of taste and smell.“Then it got worse and I couldn’t breathe or talk properly. So I phoned 111 and when I described my symptoms and my shortness of breath, they told me to go to hospital.” Melville was admitted to Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester and was put on nebulisers to help her breathe. She tested positive for flu and was put into isolation on a ward with around four other people who all had similar symptoms and was put on antibiotics.She ended up having to spend Christmas Day in hospital and was allowed home on Boxing Day after six days. Ms Melville, who works as a support worker for adults with disabilities, admits she is still very poorly and suffering. She said: “I got out of hospital on Boxing Day, but they weren’t going to let me go then. It was only because I needed to go home because of my kids”,
FLU NHS QUAD-DEMIC HOSPITAL VIRUS
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