Flu levels to pile pressure on emergency departments

Overcrowding poised to worsen as general election campaign begins

The HSE expects a major outbreak of flu to hit hospitals in the coming weeks Picture:iStock

The HSE expects the incidence of flu to peak over the next two to three weeks, piling pressure on emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals.

The National Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said flu usually circulates in the community for eight to nine weeks.

It expected “influenza-like illness rates to stay above threshold for the next six weeks, peaking over the next two to three weeks and then declining over the following three to ...