Caution is advised as influenza and Covid hospitalizations decline because infections remain high

Figures show hospital admissions for influenza and the Covid-19 virus in England fell last week, although levels remain high.

Health experts said the figures should be treated with caution as they are likely to be affected by fewer hospitals reporting data over the festive period, along with reduced social contact among the public due to the closure of schools and workplaces.

The number of hospitalizations for influenza was 8.3 per 100,000 people in the week to January 1, down from 14.8 in the week to December 25, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Despite the decrease, the rate is still higher than at any time in the previous four winters.

Admission remains highest among older age groups, at 61.8 per 100,000 for people 85 or older and 31.8 for people 75-84.

The number of hospitalizations due to Covid-19 also decreased, from 11.8 per 100,000 to 10.7.

Again, hospitalization rates for coronavirus were highest among the elderly, at 130.7 for those 85 and over and 51.8 for those 75 to 84 years old.

There is often a slight drop in recorded levels of hospital activity over the festive period, which this winter saw the weekend of December 24/25 followed by bank holidays on December 26 and 27.

The UKHSA said the latest data may have been affected by the failure of some hospitals to provide a full range of figures, along with “reporting delays and public holidays over Christmas and New Year”.

But there may also have been a temporary decrease in transmission of the virus due to “lower rates of social contact during the holiday,” with fewer travelers and the closure of many community buildings.

Meanwhile, the number of people hospitalized in England who have tested positive for coronavirus appears to have stabilized at more than 9,000.

The number has been rising since the beginning of December, although this trend has stalled in recent days, with 9,332 Covid-19 patients registered on January 4, down 1% compared to the previous week.

The number of hospitalizations exceeded 17,000 during the 2021/2021 winter infection wave.