The winter flu has led to 28 deaths while more than 2,000 people have been hospitalised with the virus, it emerged yesterday.
The HSE warned current influenza levels are a lot higher than normal and there has been a spike in over-75s being treated.
At a press briefing yesterday, the health body stressed the flu season started in late November – about five weeks earlier than usual.
A total of 2,038 patients have been admitted to hospital suffering from the virus but the HSE believes the peak infection rate has now passed.
It is expected the flu season will last eight or nine weeks, shorter than last winter and the usual eight to 12 weeks.
HSE chief operations officer Anne O’Connor provided weekly data to January 7.
She said: “What jumps out in the figures is that 3,208 people over 75 attended A&E departments last week.
“While that was down 10.45% on the previous week and down 3.3% on the same week last year, in the previous four weeks we’ve seen an additional 1,125.
“When you look at the overall attendances we’ve seen an additional 1,497. The bulk of those – 1,125 – were over 75 years old.”
HSE assistant national director Dr Kevin Kelleher added: “It is very busy and a large amount of flu but hopefully in a narrower period. What’s interesting is there has been a massive fall in children [last month], which is probably a reflection school had finished and they weren’t mixing in schools.”
Meanwhile, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said there were 520 people waiting for beds yesterday.
The tally has fallen from the record 760 people who were languishing on trolleys and chairs on Monday and Tuesday.
The HSE, who have their own count, said yesterday’s figure was 353.
However, unlike the INMO, it does not list patients placed in wards who are waiting to be admitted for a bed.
