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Flu epidemic claims 24 lives with experts predicting figures to soar
Experts predict that that the death toll from the flu epidemic will soar as it's been confirmed 24 lives have already been claimed.
Before Christmas more than 1,000 people were admitted to hospital, and now it's being predicting that there will be up to 110 fatalities.
Last week the HSE confirmed fewer than 10 people had died prior to the end of the first week in January but the latest figures reveal the virus has tightened its grip.
Public health specialist Dr Kevin Kelleher said the deaths occurred across all age groups and the current outbreak ? the fifth-worst since 2000 ? is expected to last another five weeks.
He added: ?Last week or this week will be the peak. There?s been just been a little bit of an increase this week, nowhere near the same degree of upsurge we?ve seen in the previous two or three weeks.
?So this period we?ve had 1,000 people hospitalised and around 50 admitted to ICU so far. They'll keep on going up.?
The main virus fuelling the outbreak is Influenza B ? 65% of all cases ? which is not covered by the vaccine.
The next most prominent is the AH3N2 or so-called Aussie flu ? 35% of cases.
Experts predict that that the death toll from the flu epidemic will soar as it's been confirmed 24 lives have already been claimed.
Before Christmas more than 1,000 people were admitted to hospital, and now it's being predicting that there will be up to 110 fatalities.
Last week the HSE confirmed fewer than 10 people had died prior to the end of the first week in January but the latest figures reveal the virus has tightened its grip.
Public health specialist Dr Kevin Kelleher said the deaths occurred across all age groups and the current outbreak ? the fifth-worst since 2000 ? is expected to last another five weeks.
He added: ?Last week or this week will be the peak. There?s been just been a little bit of an increase this week, nowhere near the same degree of upsurge we?ve seen in the previous two or three weeks.
?So this period we?ve had 1,000 people hospitalised and around 50 admitted to ICU so far. They'll keep on going up.?
The main virus fuelling the outbreak is Influenza B ? 65% of all cases ? which is not covered by the vaccine.
The next most prominent is the AH3N2 or so-called Aussie flu ? 35% of cases.
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