UEA epidemiologist encourages those with flu to wear a face-mask
The advice comes as the number of Flu and Covid cases remain high
An epidemiologist from the UEA says it's a "good idea" for those with flu symptoms to wear a face-mask.
The advice comes as the number of Flu and Covid cases remain high this winter after years of pandemic disruption, with hospitalisations from the illnesses in England being at their highest since this time five years ago.
Meanwhile the number of Scarlet Fever infections, caused by Strep A, continue to rise among schoolchildren.
This has all resulted in the UK Health Security Agency urging parents in Norfolk to keep their kids at home and away from school if they're unwell.
"The issue is when the flu epidemic will peak and how high it will be"
Professor Paul Hunter is from our Uni's Norwich Medical School:
"With infections like Flu, the longer it is since you had your last infection when you get it again the more likely it is that you're going to have a more severe illness.
"We can't yet work this out from the data but it may well be the case that we are seeing more hospitalisations because people are more likely to get flu and when they get the flu they are more likely to be more sick".
"All epidemics peak, the issue is when the flu epidemic will peak and how high it will be. I suspect that if it's not peaked already it probably will during January and we probably will see very few infections during the summer."
"It won't remove the pressure but it will reduce it"
He says the guidance already in place is sensible:
"When you are ill, with flu particularly, in the early stages you are actually very infectious and can infect a lot of people.
"If people stay at home when they are particularly unwell then that will go a long way to reducing the pressure. It won't remove the pressure but it will reduce it. If you are exposed to somebody who is really infectious you are likely to get more ill.
"It may well be the case that we see flu continuing to rise. The role of face-masks, they have value but they are not a caste-iron guarantee that you are not going to infect somebody.
"So in general with flu you're more at risk when you're symptomatic, so wearing face-masks when you have symptoms is a good idea."