â–¼ Summary
– UK health officials warn this year’s Northern Hemisphere flu season will be particularly severe, and the US is unprepared.
– A new H3N2 strain with several mutations is driving concerns as it may evade immune responses and cause widespread severe illness.
– The UK’s flu season has started about five weeks earlier than normal and is rapidly intensifying.
– H3N2 accounts for over 90% of analyzed influenza cases in the UK and tends to cause more severe illness, especially in older adults.
– An early flu season start increases the number of people affected since fewer are vaccinated early, according to infectious disease experts.
Health authorities in the United Kingdom are sounding the alarm about a potentially severe flu season for the Northern Hemisphere, with the United States also facing significant concerns about readiness. A newly mutated strain of H3N2 influenza is driving these worries, having appeared toward the end of the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season. While these genetic changes do not indicate a pandemic-level threat, they may allow the virus to evade existing immune defenses, potentially causing higher rates of serious illness and placing considerable pressure on healthcare systems.
Across the UK, influenza activity has surged unusually early, about five weeks ahead of the typical schedule, and is climbing rapidly. Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, expressed deep concern about the approaching season. He noted that this winter could rank among the most difficult ever faced by healthcare workers. Since assuming his position in April, Mackey admitted that the possibility of an extended and severe flu outbreak has been a major source of anxiety. He now believes those fears are materializing.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that nearly all confirmed flu cases this season belong to influenza A types, with H3N2 responsible for the overwhelming majority. The two main influenza A viruses currently in circulation are the new H3N2 strain and an H1N1 strain, while influenza B is present at very low levels. In recent laboratory analyses, H3N2 was identified in more than 90 percent of typed influenza samples.
According to Antonia Ho, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Glasgow, the H3N2 subtype typically leads to more serious outcomes compared to H1N1, especially among older adults. She also emphasized that an early onset of flu season tends to result in broader population impact, partly because vaccination rates are often lower at the start. Previous flu waves that began ahead of schedule have historically affected a larger number of individuals, compounding the strain on medical resources.
(Source: Ars Technica)