The number of flu cases in the UK has increased by 55 percent in a week, with an average of 2,660 flu patients currently being admitted to hospital every day. These are record figures, according to NHS statistics.
According to the authority, they are in an "incredibly uncertain situation" that is similar to the Covid pandemic.
An impending doctors' strike and an unprecedented wave of superflu mean the NHS is facing the worst possible scenario, says Meghana Pandit, medical director at the NHS.
Health Minister Wes Streeting warns that the number of cases could triple before the peak is reached and says that "there are no excuses" for the situation that already exists in the country's hospitals.
The dominant strain is the so-called K variant, which is currently also driving the spread of the infection in Sweden.
