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I have the flu... What should I do now?
Sunderland Echo
|December 10, 2025
Health leaders have warned that the NHS is "bracing for an unprecedented flu wave this winter", but what is so-called "super flu"?
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Health leaders have warned that the NHS is "bracing for an unprecedented flu wave this winter", but what is so-called "super flu"?
WHAT IS 'SUPER FLU'?
It is not an official name for a virus, but the so-called super flu refers to the illness that seems to be hitting harder and lasting for longer than expected.
This year's flu season also started a month earlier, while a drifted influenza A(H3N2) strain - also known as subclade K - is currently dominating cases in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
WHY HAS THIS YEAR'S FLU SEASON STARTED EARLY?
Last month, UKHSA said the new strain was driving the early surge in cases.
The agency said activity has "risen unusually early" with "increases first seen in teenagers and young adults, followed by younger children".
Flu circulation among children normally precedes that in adults.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FLU?
This story is from the December 10, 2025 edition of Sunderland Echo.
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