Dr Hilary urges Brits to get flu jab as virus 'poses bigger threat than Covid'
Dr Hilary Jones has claimed that Brits should not be routine testing for Covid-19, as the flu "poses more of a threat" this winter.
The Good Morning Britain star said the UK "hasn't got any variants of concern" as the current strain is not causing a large number of hospitalisations. The latest GOV.UK data shows that there were 2,519 patients admitted to hospital in the seven days leading up to November 3.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), emergent variant BA.2.86 is no more likely to evade existing antibodies than XBB.1.5. It also notes that there is no evidence to suggest BA.2.86 is more likely to make people seriously ill than currently-circulating variants.
Speaking to the Mirror, Dr Hilary said: "I don’t think we should be regularly testing. I think if you’ve got symptoms and you’re not sure whether it’s a bad cold or Covid-19 then it’s worth testing because it’s very cheap to do that and it’s useful to know, not just for yourself but for other people.
"We know Covid-19 is around, we haven’t got any variants of concern particularly at the moment. We do have a different strain, but it doesn’t seem to be more virulent than what’s gone before and it’s not causing a large number of hospitalisations or deaths." He added: "We expected Covid-19 to cause a few more cases as winter approaches and for the same reasons we’re going to see more colds and flu. However, we’re living with Covid-19 now and actually flu probably poses more of a threat this winter than Covid-19."
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The Lorraine presenter explained that after flu rates soared in the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia and Chile, the UK is likely to follow a similar pattern. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Southern Hemispheric countries experienced high or earlier flu activity compared to what was seen prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, the flu virus was responsible for more than 14,000 excess deaths, and over 10,000 children were hospitalised. Dr Hilary is urging those eligible for free NHS booster of Covid-19 and the flu jab to make sure they book an appointment, especially people in vulnerable groups.
"Those eligible for free NHS booster of Covid-19 and the flu vaccine, I would really recommend that they get that done to give themselves really good protection against the worst of the circulating flu viruses," he said. Pregnant women and those with ongoing health conditions are among those who are eligible for the free flu jab, but the UKHSA warns that these groups have more recently had lower vaccine uptake despite being at higher risk.
The difference between the flu, a cold and Covid-19
Dr Hilary highlights how most people won’t get more than one or two episodes of the flu in their lifetime and that the virus "is very different" to a bad cold. "With real flu you’re likely to have a very high temperature, you’re going to have a headache, a hacking cough, a very sore throat, enlarged glands in your neck. You’re going to feel awful and you won’t be able to get out of bed, even if you want to," he said.
The expert explained that people will not experience a high temperature with Covid-19 or a cold. It’s common for people with Covid-19 or the flu to suffer from aching muscles and joints, however Dr Hilary describes Covid-19 symptoms as "nebulous". He said: "We used to talk about a dry persistent cough, fatigue, nasal congestion, but actually there are many more symptoms that people can have with Covid-19, or no symptoms at all.
"But some people get aching muscles and joints, some people have overwhelming fatigue, some people get a headache, and some people get digestive symptoms. Covid-19 is really a strange virus in that it can affect people in different ways. If you’re in doubt just do a test, the Covid-19 lateral flow test is still widely available and it’s still accurate."
With a common cold, the health guru suggests common symptoms include "nasal congestion, runny nose, red eyes, sneezing, bit of a sore throat, no temperature usually, and slightly sore glands." Dr Hilary, who is representing Manuka Doctor, recommends treating cold symptoms with Manuka honey, which boasts antibacterial properties.
These can help to relieve underlying symptoms for colds and coughs as Manuka honey contains methylglyoxal (MGO). Symptomatic relief from colds can also be achieved by drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol or ibuprofen, he added.
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