Health experts raise fears about impact of Australian 'super cold' on hospitals

The reported symptoms of this new cold see the same head and body aches, general fatigue, scratchy throat, raspy cough and runny nose that is experienced with Covid.

The HSE’s chief clinical officer has said that health care systems across Europe are concerned at the higher than expected levels of influenza in Australia at present as traditionally such conditions are replicated the following winter in the northern hemisphere.

Dr Colm Henry said the hospital system in Ireland was already under pressure because of rising Covid cases with conditions similar to a difficult winter.