More than 10,000 flu cases in first eight weeks of the year

No other infectious disease has seen as much of an increase year-on-year as flu.

There have been more than 10,000 cases of flu in Ireland through the first eight weeks of the year.

Hospitals and nursing homes are struggling to contain outbreaks of influenza, with the numbers rising considerably when compared to 2023.

Data released from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) shows a total of 840 cases were recorded from February 18 to February 24.

This means that so far this year, a total of 10,152 influenza cases have been recorded.

That's up by 3,514 on the same period last year.

Those aged 65 or over were the most viral age group (248 cases), more than doubling the rate of any other age group, according to the HPSC.

Flu symptoms include, among others, a sudden high temperature, an aching body, a dry cough, a sore throat and/or a headache.

Looking deeper into the data shows there have been worrying 84 outbreaks recorded across the last four weeks — including 14 in the most recent data for week seven (February 11 to February 18.)

Hospitals (26 outbreaks across four week period) and nursing homes (30 outbreaks across the four-week period) remain the most viral areas for influenza so far this year.

No other infectious disease has seen as much of an increase year-on-year as flu.

Free flu vaccines are available from the HSE for groups that are eligible, which include those over 65, as well as healthcare workers, pregnant people, or those who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of flu.

In comparison, there has been a decrease in covid-19 cases, with almost 5,000 fewer cases than this time last year.

There were 271 positive covid cases from February 18 to February 24, giving a yearly total of 5,364 cases, compared to 10,059 last year.

There have been 12 suspected cases of measles so far this year — with the HPSC saying one case has been confirmed while the remainder classified as possible.

At the beginning of February, a man died in a hospital in the Dublin and Midlands Health Region having been confirmed to have had measles. 

Meanwhile, a total of 10,991 patients were forced to wait for a hospital bed in February, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

The top five most overcrowded hospitals were University Hospital Limerick (2,247 patients), Cork University Hospital (1,070 patients), University Hospital Galway (987 patients), St Vincent’s University Hospital (651 patients) and Sligo University Hospital (649 patients).

INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said numbers had not fallen since the St Brigid's Day bank holiday, and warned with two bank holidays to come in March the HSE "must outline what steps they are taking in the run up to St Patrick's Day".