Adevastating flu season is expected this winter, and it could combine with rising numbers of Covid cases to create a dangerous “twindemic” scenario, experts fear.
There are concerns it could overload the NHS, which is in crisis trying to cope with record backlogs and waiting times.
Figures from the southern hemisphere, which usually foretell what will happen in the UK, indicate a flu surge two months earlier than normal, driven by under-30s.
It suggests a spike in flu hospital admissions in Britain could begin in October, including many children. One estimate is the flu season could be twice as large as normal.
In addition, Covid infections could increase in the coming weeks as respiratory infections rise, the UK Health Security Agency has warned.
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist for immunisation and countermeasures at the UKHSA, said: “With respiratory viruses increasing in circulation in the winter months, we can expect to see growing cases of Covid-19 in the coming weeks.