Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms should avoid contact with older people this Christmas, health experts have warned

Anyone suffering from cold or flu-like symptoms should avoid contact with older family members over Christmas, health experts say.

The warning comes as new figures show that more hospital patients are falling ill with flu and more people in the community are infected with Covid-19.

By mid-December, around one in 24 people in England and Scotland – a total of 2.5 million – is expected to have tested positive for the coronavirus.

This is more than double compared to earlier this month, when it was one in 50, according to the winter survey of Covid-19 infections.

The virus is estimated to be more common among 18- to 44-year-olds than older age groups, with London and the South East having the highest regional rates.

Meanwhile, the number of people hospitalized with flu each day in England rose by almost two-thirds (61 per cent) in a week last week, from 402 to 648, of whom 30 were in intensive care.

Norovirus levels are also rising: Last week, an average of 566 adult hospital beds were occupied by patients with diarrhea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

This is 12 per cent more than the 506 beds last week and 56 per cent more than this time last year, when the average was 363, NHS England said.

Professor Steven Riley, director general of data and surveillance at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “At this time of year, the cold weather, shorter days and increased social contact increase the risk of transmission of respiratory viruses such as Covid-19 . ” 19 is smaller. especially high.

“This, together with the potential impact of new variants, means that it is not unexpected that the number of cases is increasing.”

Anyone suffering from cold or flu-like symptoms should avoid contact with older family members over Christmas, health experts say (stock photo)

“If you show symptoms of Covid-19 or other respiratory diseases, you should try to limit your contact with other people as much as possible, especially those who are older or more vulnerable.”

The Covid-19 variant Omicron BA.2.86, which was first identified in August, is now the predominant variant in England, according to the UKHSA.

One of the sub-variants of BA.2.86, called JN.1, was this week classified by the World Health Organization as a separate “variant of concern” due to its “rapidly increasing incidence” around the world.

However, JN.1 is not yet widespread enough in Great Britain for the UKHSA to classify it as a variant here.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said the latest figures showed that “winter is well and truly upon us”.

He added: “We expect this to be the most challenging winter yet because of the strikes and the high occupancy of our hospitals is very worrying as our hardworking staff combine seasonal viruses and strikes in the run up to Christmas.”