Norovirus hospital cases hit new winter high

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The number of patients in hospital in England with norovirus has risen for the fourth week in a row to hit a new high for this winter.

The ‘winter vomiting bug’ continues to build demand in hospitals with an average of over 1,100 adult beds closed or occupied each day last week due to norovirus.

An average of 950 hospital beds were filled each day last week by people with diarrhoea, vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

This is up 15 per cent from the previous week’s average of 823 patients.

It is also higher than the figure at this point last year, which was 898 patients.

The data has been published in the latest weekly snapshot of the performance of hospitals in England this winter.

Flu rates have dropped since last month’s peak, but there was still an average of 1,987 patients in hospital with flu and an average of 647 patients in hospital with covid-19 per day last week.

This is a breaking story, more to follow…