Fever pitch: increase in hospitalisations as influenza cases spike

The Advertiser

9 hours ago

Influenza cases have surged by 58 per cent in a week in Hunter New England, health data shows.
Virologist Nathan Bartlett said "there's been a clear upward rise in the number of respiratory illnesses in the community".
"We're definitely seeing an uptick in fever and cough," he said.
Professor Bartlett, of Hunter Medical Research Institute, said flu season began with a surge of cases in May.
"It's now intensifying," he said.
"It's partially linked to global flu trends. The H3N2 strain is the troublemaker. It mutates and reduces the effectiveness of immunity."
Professor Bartlett, of the University of Newcastle, said "the US had a record flu season in their winter just gone".
"A bad flu season in the Northern Hemisphere does increase the risk for a bad flu season in Australia," he said.
"There are a lot of factors that can determine that link, but it certainly is a predictor."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Thursday, said "influenza activity has increased and is now at a high level".
"Influenza vaccinations are important at this time, especially for people who are at risk of severe disease," the report said.
The report listed 487 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu and 294 COVID cases in Hunter New England for the week ending June 28.
In the previous week, these numbers were 309 and 241, respectively.
"COVID-19 is stable at a moderate level of activity. RSV activity is still high but may have peaked."
The report said emergency department (ED) presentations and admissions for COVID-19 were stable.
"The number of presentations for influenza-like illness has been increasing since May, and the number of admissions is now also increasing."
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, but decreasing in those aged under one.
For children under five with bronchiolitis, 76 per cent of presentations and 83 per cent of admissions were for infants aged under one.
Professor Bartlett said the latest variants of COVID "did not seem to be any more pathogenic or nasty than previous versions".
"COVID can cause a nasty cold, but be more severe for certain people. It continues to evolve and circulate at pretty high levels."
The Newcastle Herald reported last month that the Hunter's health network recorded 882 COVID deaths from 2019 to 2023.
The data, which included New England and Central Coast, was similar to flu and pneumonia (829).
A US study published in the Lancet in May said, "a growing body of evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 can persist for months or years following COVID-19 in a subset of individuals".
A "reservoir" of the virus was "potentially driving long-COVID symptoms".
An Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal, said "COVID-19 vaccines might have protective and therapeutic effects on long COVID".
"More robust comparative observational studies and trials are needed, however, to clearly determine the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing and treating long COVID."
Influenza cases have surged by 58 per cent in a week in Hunter New England, health data shows.
Virologist Nathan Bartlett said "there's been a clear upward rise in the number of respiratory illnesses in the community".
"We're definitely seeing an uptick in fever and cough," he said.
Professor Bartlett, of Hunter Medical Research Institute, said flu season began with a surge of cases in May.
"It's now intensifying," he said.
"It's partially linked to global flu trends. The H3N2 strain is the troublemaker. It mutates and reduces the effectiveness of immunity."
Professor Bartlett, of the University of Newcastle, said "the US had a record flu season in their winter just gone".
"A bad flu season in the Northern Hemisphere does increase the risk for a bad flu season in Australia," he said.
"There are a lot of factors that can determine that link, but it certainly is a predictor."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Thursday, said "influenza activity has increased and is now at a high level".
"Influenza vaccinations are important at this time, especially for people who are at risk of severe disease," the report said.
The report listed 487 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu and 294 COVID cases in Hunter New England for the week ending June 28.
In the previous week, these numbers were 309 and 241, respectively.
"COVID-19 is stable at a moderate level of activity. RSV activity is still high but may have peaked."
The report said emergency department (ED) presentations and admissions for COVID-19 were stable.
"The number of presentations for influenza-like illness has been increasing since May, and the number of admissions is now also increasing."
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, but decreasing in those aged under one.
For children under five with bronchiolitis, 76 per cent of presentations and 83 per cent of admissions were for infants aged under one.
Professor Bartlett said the latest variants of COVID "did not seem to be any more pathogenic or nasty than previous versions".
"COVID can cause a nasty cold, but be more severe for certain people. It continues to evolve and circulate at pretty high levels."
The Newcastle Herald reported last month that the Hunter's health network recorded 882 COVID deaths from 2019 to 2023.
The data, which included New England and Central Coast, was similar to flu and pneumonia (829).
A US study published in the Lancet in May said, "a growing body of evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 can persist for months or years following COVID-19 in a subset of individuals".
A "reservoir" of the virus was "potentially driving long-COVID symptoms".
An Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal, said "COVID-19 vaccines might have protective and therapeutic effects on long COVID".
"More robust comparative observational studies and trials are needed, however, to clearly determine the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing and treating long COVID."
Influenza cases have surged by 58 per cent in a week in Hunter New England, health data shows.
Virologist Nathan Bartlett said "there's been a clear upward rise in the number of respiratory illnesses in the community".
"We're definitely seeing an uptick in fever and cough," he said.
Professor Bartlett, of Hunter Medical Research Institute, said flu season began with a surge of cases in May.
"It's now intensifying," he said.
"It's partially linked to global flu trends. The H3N2 strain is the troublemaker. It mutates and reduces the effectiveness of immunity."
Professor Bartlett, of the University of Newcastle, said "the US had a record flu season in their winter just gone".
"A bad flu season in the Northern Hemisphere does increase the risk for a bad flu season in Australia," he said.
"There are a lot of factors that can determine that link, but it certainly is a predictor."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Thursday, said "influenza activity has increased and is now at a high level".
"Influenza vaccinations are important at this time, especially for people who are at risk of severe disease," the report said.
The report listed 487 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu and 294 COVID cases in Hunter New England for the week ending June 28.
In the previous week, these numbers were 309 and 241, respectively.
"COVID-19 is stable at a moderate level of activity. RSV activity is still high but may have peaked."
The report said emergency department (ED) presentations and admissions for COVID-19 were stable.
"The number of presentations for influenza-like illness has been increasing since May, and the number of admissions is now also increasing."
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, but decreasing in those aged under one.
For children under five with bronchiolitis, 76 per cent of presentations and 83 per cent of admissions were for infants aged under one.
Professor Bartlett said the latest variants of COVID "did not seem to be any more pathogenic or nasty than previous versions".
"COVID can cause a nasty cold, but be more severe for certain people. It continues to evolve and circulate at pretty high levels."
The Newcastle Herald reported last month that the Hunter's health network recorded 882 COVID deaths from 2019 to 2023.
The data, which included New England and Central Coast, was similar to flu and pneumonia (829).
A US study published in the Lancet in May said, "a growing body of evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 can persist for months or years following COVID-19 in a subset of individuals".
A "reservoir" of the virus was "potentially driving long-COVID symptoms".
An Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal, said "COVID-19 vaccines might have protective and therapeutic effects on long COVID".
"More robust comparative observational studies and trials are needed, however, to clearly determine the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing and treating long COVID."
Influenza cases have surged by 58 per cent in a week in Hunter New England, health data shows.
Virologist Nathan Bartlett said "there's been a clear upward rise in the number of respiratory illnesses in the community".
"We're definitely seeing an uptick in fever and cough," he said.
Professor Bartlett, of Hunter Medical Research Institute, said flu season began with a surge of cases in May.
"It's now intensifying," he said.
"It's partially linked to global flu trends. The H3N2 strain is the troublemaker. It mutates and reduces the effectiveness of immunity."
Professor Bartlett, of the University of Newcastle, said "the US had a record flu season in their winter just gone".
"A bad flu season in the Northern Hemisphere does increase the risk for a bad flu season in Australia," he said.
"There are a lot of factors that can determine that link, but it certainly is a predictor."
The latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, released on Thursday, said "influenza activity has increased and is now at a high level".
"Influenza vaccinations are important at this time, especially for people who are at risk of severe disease," the report said.
The report listed 487 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu and 294 COVID cases in Hunter New England for the week ending June 28.
In the previous week, these numbers were 309 and 241, respectively.
"COVID-19 is stable at a moderate level of activity. RSV activity is still high but may have peaked."
The report said emergency department (ED) presentations and admissions for COVID-19 were stable.
"The number of presentations for influenza-like illness has been increasing since May, and the number of admissions is now also increasing."
ED presentations and admissions for bronchiolitis in young children were high, but decreasing in those aged under one.
For children under five with bronchiolitis, 76 per cent of presentations and 83 per cent of admissions were for infants aged under one.
Professor Bartlett said the latest variants of COVID "did not seem to be any more pathogenic or nasty than previous versions".
"COVID can cause a nasty cold, but be more severe for certain people. It continues to evolve and circulate at pretty high levels."
The Newcastle Herald reported last month that the Hunter's health network recorded 882 COVID deaths from 2019 to 2023.
The data, which included New England and Central Coast, was similar to flu and pneumonia (829).
A US study published in the Lancet in May said, "a growing body of evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2 can persist for months or years following COVID-19 in a subset of individuals".
A "reservoir" of the virus was "potentially driving long-COVID symptoms".
An Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal, said "COVID-19 vaccines might have protective and therapeutic effects on long COVID".
"More robust comparative observational studies and trials are needed, however, to clearly determine the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing and treating long COVID."