FLU season is set to peak in Ireland this week according to the nation’s Health Service Executive (HSE).
Christmas week is expected to see the highest number of cases of flu recorded across the country, with the number of cases increasing week on week over the past few months.
The most recently reported HSE figures confirmed the number of reported flu cases in the week ending Saturday, December 13, week 50, was 3,287.
This was up from 41 cases in week 40; 457 cases in week 45; and 2,943 cases in week 49.
“While the rate of growth is slowing the rate of infection is growing and very active in the community,” the HSE confirmed in a statement.
“Surveillance figures report the continued presence of Covid-19 albeit reduced from 427 cases in Week 40 to 171 cases in week 50,” they added, while confirming that “RSV is growing and in the same period rose from 18 to 435 cases”.
HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said they expect to see the growing number of flu cases reach its peak this week.
“We had been predicting a range of 700 to 1,500 cases being in hospital on any one day at the height of the flu,” he said.
“That range has now narrowed to a band of 800 to 1,100.”
He added: “We will also see the same number of new cases hospitalised per week.
“Last week it was 816 new cases hospitalised and today we have 634 people in hospital with flu. The latest modelling data available to me today is that the flu will peak Christmas week (week 52).”
The public has been urged to take steps to protect themselves and others during flu season, including getting a flu vaccination and staying away from others if feeling unwell.
Mr Gloster said Ireland’s health care system is already working “at full capacity” at the height of the flu season, while the nation’s emergency departments are seeing “unprecedented attendances even for this time of year”.
“We are working at full capacity to support people and while I anticipate serious pressures in the next short while I am confident that working with the community, we will manage this season and the impact of this early and hard hitting flu,” he added.