‘Nasty’ winter bugs going around, ‘taking a toll’
Are lots of people around you sick, but their Covid-19 tests are turning up negative? According to Dr Samantha Murton, that’s because we’re “still in the thick of the respiratory bugs” this winter.
Earlier in winter, hospitals were reporting increasing levels of illnesses including rhinovirus – the most frequent cause of the common cold – influenza, and RSV.
As of the week ending July 14, there had been more than 4400 cases of rhinovirus reported to laboratories this year.
Murton said she’s had patients who feel very unwell but have tested negative for Covid-19 a number of times – something many of us may be familiar with this winter.
“We have to remember respiratory illness has been around for a long time,” Murton said.
Another GP, Dr Nikki Turner, said she’s also seeing “a lot” of respiratory illnesses: “a lot of RSV, a lot of flu, and a lot of Covid”.
The Covid-19 pandemic created a “slightly unusual situation” where we had “no RSV circulating for one year, and no flu for two years”. Lockdowns and social measures during the pandemic were “hugely effective in stopping these other viruses” as well as Covid-19, she said. At the time, people were being very vigilant, mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and staying home while sick.
While this was still happening, it wasn’t “to the same degree”, Turner said.
Now, we’re seeing a “triple-whammy”, plus the usual rhinovirus and other viruses.
She said GPs are seeing “repeated” viruses, with people getting respiratory virus on respiratory virus, which was taking a toll on people.
Reporting by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research shows indicators of influenza-like illness in the community are at levels expected for this time of year. A number of viruses were being detected, including influenza, rhinovirus and RSV. In the week ending July 7, the hospitalisation rate for severe acute respiratory infections moved into the “high” activity range, predominantly associated with increased influenza-related infections.
Turner said we can all take “very sensible social measures” – like staying home when sick – to protect one another. If you’re sick with a cold or flu, the advice is keep up your fluids and rest. There are no medicines that cure a cold.