Health officials have confirmed that flu season has 'probably' reached its peak, but they believe that flu season will last for another six weeks.
A substantial number of children have been suffering from the flu this winter. Today, health officials have confirmed that the reason for the rise in flu cases is because children have returned to school.
The flu season peaked during the second and third week of January, which is when the new school term began.
Dr Kevin Kelleher of the HSE stated, “The flu last week was dominated by a big increase for children, which is possibly a consequence of going back to school. That did happen."
Influenza spreads quicker amongst children as many of them fail to cover their nose when they sneeze and forget to wash their hands at times.
Since the Australian flu hit Ireland, a total of 34 people have passed away, but the HSE has recently seen a decrease in the number of cases, “There was a fairly big decline in the over-65s and a decline among adults.”
Medical experts have suggested that parents get to know the symptoms of the flu, so they can tackle it at the earliest stages:
- Sudden fever
- Dry, chesty cough
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Chills
- Aching muscles
- Limb or joint pain
- Diarrhoea or stomach upset
- Sore throat
- Runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
It has been recommended that you keep your children out of school if they are suffering from the flu, as it can be extremely contagious.
