Influenza rates have risen by 70 per cent in Hunter New England in a week, health data shows. Login or signup to continue reading COVID hospitalisations are falling and the latest wave appears to have peaked, but high levels of the virus are spreading. Peter Murray, a public health physician, said "we've got the perfect storm at the moment unfortunately".
"We've got high levels of COVID and influenza, RSV and lots of pertussis [whooping cough] around," Dr Murray, of Hunter New England Health, said Emergency department presentations for influenza-like illness had "rocketed up". "Mycoplasma pneumoniae [which causes pneumonia] is circulating as well," he said. Hunter New England recorded 1853 flu notifications in June to date, almost triple the previous month.
The district recorded 830 flu notifications in the week to June 22, compared to 489 the previous week. These figures account for people unwell enough to take a PCR test. Dr Murray urged people to "get your flu vaccine if you haven't had that already".
"We are tracking a little lower than last year, which is a concern for us," he said. "It's still a good time to get vaccinated. We strongly encourage people to do that.
" A fortnight ago there were 102 COVID hospitalisations in the district, with six in intensive care, and 35 aged-care facilities with COVID outbreaks. There were now 60 COVID hospitalisations, with one in intensive care, and 38 respiratory outbreaks in aged-care - mostly due to COVID. "This was a significant CO.
