Tens of thousands of people are at risk: a new dangerous strain of flu is spreading around the world

UK health officials are sounding the alarm over a new mutated strain of flu spreading around the world.

This is stated in the Daily Mail article.

Experts predict the disease could cause the UK’s deadliest flu season yet, with the death toll reaching tens of thousands.

Although flu cases tend to increase during the winter, statistics show that the number is already three times higher than usual. There has been a noticeable spike among school-age children in particular.

NHS England Chief Executive Jim Mackie is convinced that the coming winter will be one of the most difficult, with overcrowded hospitals and growing waiting lists for treatment.

This is likely due to the fact that the H3N2 flu strain mutated seven times over the summer, making the course of the disease more difficult, especially for the elderly.

The new strain is different from those recorded in the UK in recent years, meaning people have less immunity.

“H3N2 is less similar to the one seen during the 2024 flu season. There may already be a little less immunity in the population, so the virus can be transmitted and infect people more easily, and this may be why the number of cases has increased earlier than last year,” explained Professor Poonam Mangthani, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Symptoms of H3N2 are similar to previous strains of the flu, but they are more severe, including high fever, severe body aches, and fatigue.

Ahead of a predicted sharp spike in cases, British doctors have urged people to get vaccinated to protect themselves from severe forms of the flu.

“Flu strains evolve rapidly, so even if you have had the flu before or received a flu vaccine, it is still important to get vaccinated every year because your natural immunity may not be as effective,” noted Poonam Mangthani.

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