Friday, 7 February 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 7th February 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 7th February 2025

"NHS England says more patients in hospitals last week than any other stage this winter– 96% of adult beds were occupied. 961 norovirus cases, up 7% on the week before and 69% higher than same time last year.  
Nearly 13,800 in hospital even though medically fit to be discharged."
BBC Health Correspondent Hugh Pym

Norovirus is completely preventable and only 1 in 160 cases end up in a hospital bed - so it's likely more than 153,700 people in England currently have it.
Norovirus is not only bad in the UK - the US has also doubled last years peak. We test more people nowadays, but "the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype" (GII. 17) seems to blame.
Remember hand gel doesn't get through the thick fatty shell of Norovirus - kill it by washing with good old-fashioned soap. 

Vomiting and Disarrhoea stay at home photo of person's body hugging a cushion

Friday, 24 January 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI Bird Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 24th January 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI Bird Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 24th January 2025

Well hello. It's been a very busy 2 weeks, and if you are reading this then I probably lost internet at some point due to Storm Eowyn (I uploaded this a couple of hours after power went off at 7.40am just in case I lost internet too). Sorry if anything is already out of date - I'll do a quick update to the update when I'm back online! I hope everyone out there isn't too badly affected. Stay safe everyone. Thank you to all of the emergency and essential workers risking their lives to look after us in this weather. 

"CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has provided real-time data and analysis about disease outbreaks and emerging health threats without a break every week since 1960. 

Until today."

Dr Tom Frieden, former CDC Director, 23rd January 2025.


The USA has a new President and as promised, Trump immediately signed executive orders withdrawing the USA from the Paris Climate Agreement (alongside just Iran, Libya and Yemen) and the World Health Organisation. Any WHO member officially has to give 1 year's notice to leave, so it may not have an immediate effect.

Friday, 10 January 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Bird Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 10th January 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 and other virus UK and World News Update 10th January 2025

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good festive break, and I'm delighted to say that the world didn't become overrun by virus during the last 3 weeks, not entirely anyway... 

"NHS England says there were over 5,000 patients in hospital with flu at the end of last week. The average...was almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023. NHS England says the number quadrupled since the end of November."
BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym on 3rd January. 
"NHS England says average flu patient numbers in hospitals at 5,400 last week - up on previous week. A&E attendances in 2024 up 7 per cent on the year. NHS leaders say strain on staff at times as bad as height of pandemic."
Hugh Pym on 9th January.
Flu levels are currently abysmal in the UK, but some suggestions we may soon peak - I hope so.

100125 An average 5407 patients a day in hospital with flu up from 4469 the week before