Nottingham Hospitals asks visitors to avoid visiting if they feel unwell after rise in flu and Norovirus cases

NUH has provided advice for visitors as cases of influenza and Norovirus increase hospitalisations.

A spokesperson for Nottingham University Hospitals said on Friday 13 December:

‘Respiratory viruses such as influenza and Covid-19 remain a threat to vulnerable patients, therefore it is important that you do not attend if you feel unwell to keep our patients and staff safe.

‘As long as the ward you are visiting doesn’t have any active cases of transmissible infection (e.g. Covid-19, influenza or Norovirus) then visiting will be permitted.’

‘To protect your loved ones, please do not visit our hospitals if you are feeling ill.

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Do not visit if you are unwell with any of the following symptoms;

• Runny nose
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New onset of increased tiredness/fatigue
• Sneezing
• Fever (A high temperature over 37.8 degrees)
• New continuous cough
• Recent loss or change to sense of smell and taste
• New Aches and Pains
• Diarrhoea or Vomiting

In the last 48 hours please stay at home to protect our patients and staff.

UKHSA update this week 

• Influenza activity increased across most indicators and was at low to medium activity levels
• Influenza positivity increased with a weekly mean positivity rate of 17.1% in week 49 compared with 11.6% in the previous week – this is based on a percentage of people who test positive among those with symptoms tested through hospital laboratories
• overall, influenza hospitalisations increased to 5.53 per 100,000 population, compared with 3.98 per 100,000 in the previous week
• the weekly influenza-like illnesses (ILI) General Practice (GP) consultation rate increased to 8.5 per 100,000 compared with 6 per 100,000 in the previous week
• the number of incidents (such as care home outbreaks) due to confirmed influenza increased to 52

For the 2024-25 season’s vaccination programme, children and pregnant women have been eligible since 1 September, whilst clinical risk groups, older adults (those aged 65 years and over) and frontline healthcare workers have been eligible since 3 October.

Up to the end of week 49, vaccine uptake stands at:

• 36.9% of those under 65 years in a clinical risk group
• 32.5% in all pregnant women
• 72.2% in all those aged 65 years and over

39.7% of children aged 2 years of age and 41% of children aged 3 years of age have been vaccinated.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) surveillance data for week 49:

• Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity stabilised or decreased across indicators but remained at medium levels
• emergency department attendances for acute bronchiolitis decreased
• RSV test positivity decreased slightly to 13% compared with 15.3% in the previous week
• overall, hospital admissions decreased to 3.01 per 100,000 compared with 4.13 per 100,000 in the previous week

As we are still near peak levels RSV, it’s important to know how to spot the signs of bronchiolitis in infants. Some of the main symptoms of a serious infection due to RSV include a cough that gets worse, shortness of breath, wheezy breathing, and difficulty feeding. You should seek medical help if you’re worried your child is seriously unwell and further advice can be found on the NHS website.

Since 1 September 2024, pregnant women have been offered RSVvaccination around the time of their 28-week antenatal appointment. Having the vaccine in week 28 or within a few weeks of this will help build a good level of antibodies to pass on to their baby before birth. This will give the newborn baby the best protection, including if they are born early. Those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 are also eligible for a free NHS vaccine to protect them from RSV.

COVID-19 surveillance data for week 49

• COVID-19 activity remained stable or decreased across indicators and was circulating at baseline levels
• COVID-19 hospitalisations slightly decreased to 1.71 per 100,000 compared with 1.84 per 100,000 in the previous week
• COVID-19 ICU admissions or remained stable at 0.05 per 100,000 compared with 0.06 per 100,000 in the previous week
• there were 12 COVID-19 acute respiratory incidents reported in week 48
• the highest hospital admission rate for COVID-19 was in those aged 85 years and over – the rate remained stable at 16.59 per 100,000 compared with 16.38 in the previous week
• the highest hospital admission rate was in the North-West, which increased to 2.49 per 100,000, compared with 1.95 in the previous week
• up to the end of week 49, 22.8% of those under 65 years in a clinical risk group and 57.9% of all people aged over 65 years old, who are living and resident in England had been vaccinated with an Autumn 2024 booster dose

Norovirus surveillance data for week 48:

• this season, the increase in reporting has begun earlier than usual, with norovirus activity in the 2-week period between 18 November to 01 December 2024 was 33.2% higher than the previous 2-week period. total reports were more than double the 5-season average (114.3%) for the same 2-week period
• Norovirus reporting is continuing to rise across all age groups, particularly in adults aged 65 years and over
• Rotavirus reporting has decreased in recent weeks and was within expected levels during the 2-week period of weeks 47 and 48
• the number of norovirus outbreaks reported to the Hospital Norovirus Outbreak Reporting System (HNORS) since the start of the 2024/2025 season is 27.4% higher than the 5-season average.
• while some of the increased reporting may be attributable to the increased use of PCR multiplex technology (capable of detecting multiple gastrointestinal pathogens in one test), it is likely that the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype, GII.17, as well as changes in the epidemiology following the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors are contributing to the observed rise
• during the 2024/2025 season to date, the majority (88.3%) of samples characterised were norovirus genogroup 2 (GII), of which the most frequently identified genotype was GII.17 (63.2%), an increase of this genotype has also been observed in other counties during 2024 and is being closely monitored — at present there is no indication it leads to more severe illness (note: it isn’t accurate to refer to GII.17 as ‘Kawasaki’ and this term is causing confusion with Kawasaki Disease, which is an unrelated disease)
• lab reports represent just a small proportion of total norovirus cases and it has been estimated that for every case of norovirus reported to national surveillance in the UK there are about 288 in the community that go unreported, representing an annual burden of around 3 million cases
• Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea but can also include a high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs — Norovirus infection can cause dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups such as young children and older or immunocompromised people, so if you do get ill it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time