The head of NHS England has urged people in the UK to get vaccinated before Christmas as cases of “festive flu” continue to rise. This winter, the UK has seen a sharp increase in flu, norovirus (the winter vomiting bug), and RSV (a virus causing cold and cough-like symptoms).

Last week, an average of 1,861 flu patients were admitted to hospitals daily, up from 1,099 the previous week and 402 during the same period last year.

With illnesses surging ahead of the festive season, health officials have warned of a potential “quad-demic” and even described the situation as a looming “tidal wave” for hospitals.

What is Festival Flu?

According to American Lung Association, the terms “Festival Flu” or “Coachella Cough” are used as an overarching slang term for various illnesses people can pick up at music and film festivals. These include colds, flus and more serious infections. As such, the most common symptoms of festival flu include coughing, sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, fever and body aches. “It’s usually not a specific illness but a combination of lack of sleep, lack of nutrition screaming, shouting and dehydration,” said Cedric “Jamie” Rutland, M.D., a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician and Lung Association spokesperson.

How Do You Treat Festival Flu?

Though there is no one treatment for festival flu, drinking plenty of fluids, getting lots of rest and taking over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms is a good place to start. If symptoms worsen or last longer than a week, you may need to consult your healthcare provider.

Attending a festival can be the highlight of the summer. Don’t dampen the rest of your summer with a cold or flu. Stay healthy and safe so that you can breathe well and sing at the top of your lungs.

New Delhi:

There has been no abnormal rise in cases of seasonal flu in any part of the country as of now, the Union health ministry said on Monday, underlining that it is keeping a close watch on the situation through its Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme network.

Since the detection of the first case of Influenza-A H1N1 in 2009, India every year witnesses two peaks of this seasonal influenza — one from January to March and other in the post-monsoon season, the ministry said.

“As of now, there has been no abnormal alarming rise in cases of seasonal flu in any part of the country,” it stated in a statement.

A near real-time surveillance of cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) presenting in outdoor and indoor patient departments of health facilities is undertaken by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) through the Indian Council of Medical Research’s network of laboratories across the country.

In view of various media reports regarding detection of avian influenza virus in cattle and milk in the US, a video conference under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services was also held on Sunday to review the current situation of seasonal influenza. It was informed by experts that with use of proper hygienic practices such as boiling of milk and proper cooking of meat at adequate temperatures would help prevent the virus transmission from the product (if the virus is present) to the human beings, the statement said.

Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses which circulate in all parts of the world, and the cases are seen to increase during certain months globally.

Young children and the elderly with co-morbidities are the most vulnerable groups in context of seasonal influenza.

The health ministry has provided guidelines on categorisation of patients, treatment protocols and guidelines on ventilatory management to states and Union Territories. The National Centre for Disease Control has also advised state governments for vaccination of healthcare workers dealing with H1N1 cases.

“As of now, the situation is under control and is being monitored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for seasonal and avian influenza viruses also,” the statement said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)