Around one in 20 people in England tested positive for coronavirus in the week ending December 28
Over the festive and new year period most of us will have known someone who was struck down by a nasty winter illness.
The M.E.N has spoken to a health expert in Manchester to understand what's causing the spike in sickness rates, and the latest advice on what to do if you fall ill. "The new variant is another strain of Omicron. We've had five of Omicron in 2022 alone. At the moment, the government hasn't officially classified it as a variant of concern but they are monitoring it in the US closely.
"My concern at the moment is more with flu. If we go back to a normal winter like 2019 and before, what you’d normally see is flu season starting the week before Christmas and continuing to January and February in a bad season. "With flu its likely you'll feel seriously ill and it goes back to the old saying of whether you can pick up a £50 note," Mr Regan explains. "But what's happened this winter is those heavy chest infections, colds and coughs. It might not be flu or covid making you sick, but you still feel pretty grotty."
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Inside 'first of its kind' drive-thru Indian restaurant in Greater ManchesterChaiiwala will serve chilli chip butty, butter chicken wraps and Mumbai Mac ‘N’ Cheese
Read more »
Better transport options linked to greater health and wellbeing, study findsTransport infrastructure in the north of England needs vital improvements, researchers have warned, as a study finds a link between travelling outside your local area and positive health and wellbeing.
Read more »
All around the world, covid surveillance is falteringMany around the world believe that the pandemic is over. But it isn’t. Covid still kills 10,000 people a week and many of those deaths are preventable
Read more »
5 outfits you’ll want to show off around the officeHeading back to work after a break can take a lot of motivation, but these dream office outfits should be enough to make you happy to clock in every morning.
Read more »
Nurses' union could accept pay rise of around 10% - half original demandThe Royal College of Nursing had initially called for a 19% increase, but its chief says she is willing to 'meet the government halfway'.
Read more »
Pakistan and China find they have little leverage with the TalibanThe Pakistanis wanted to control Afghanistan through the Taliban, to gain vital “strategic depth” in the event of a conflict with India. Yet how fleeting that dream has proved
Read more »