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'Stay home for 48 hours' as contagious virus cases 'exceptionally high'

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13th February 2025 - The Mirror
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The UK's health chiefs have sounded the alarm with an urgent plea to curb the spread of a highly infectious virus amidst an "exceptionally high" number of cases. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) unveiled alarming statistics on norovirus as part of their Thursday briefing, along with updates on flu, Covid and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) levels.

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They noted that while flu activity has lessened to "medium" levels and Covid remained steady over the last week, RSV rates have also diminished. However, the outlook for the highly unpleasant sickness and diarrhoea bug, norovirus, is bleaker.

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According to the UKHSA, figures during the fortnight from January 20 to February 2 were 17.4% up compared to the preceding two weeks. Astonishingly, total reports surged by 116.7% higher than the five-season average for a corresponding fortnight.

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Laboratory reports are particularly rife among those aged 65 and above. Additionally, hospital outbreaks of the virus are now 22.6% increased relative to the five-season average.

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Doctor's Opinion Blog

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A&E Crisis: Extreme Waiting Times is a Symptom of a Failing System

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The latest NHS England figures confirm what frontline healthcare workers already know: A&E is in crisis. In January, more than 60,000 patients waited over 12 hours in emergency departments, exceeding the total recorded in over 11 years before the pandemic. This figure isn't just a statistic; it's a glaring sign of a healthcare system stretched beyond its limits.

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A&E waiting times have long been a concern, but the latest numbers show just how deeply entrenched the problem has become. The so-called "trolley waits"—where patients who need admission are left waiting due to a lack of available hospital beds—were once rare. Now, they are the new normal.

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This record-breaking figure was even more alarming even though overall A&E attendance was lower than last year.

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