Europe is facing a “tridemic” that threatens to push health systems to the limit as a surge in flu cases is compounded by Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Spain and Italy are among the countries worst affected as hospitals struggle to cope with an influx of patients and coronavirus-era mask mandates are reintroduced in health facilities in some regions.
Upticks in cases have also been reported in Germany, where the public health authority said a flu wave officially began on December 11, and in France, where 10 out of 18 regions are officially in an epidemic phase. In the UK, there has been a slight rise in flu cases and hospitalisations, with officials warning that the peak was yet to come.