What do the NHS mean by a “Quad-demic”?

Sadly it’s not uncommon for us to see warnings about a “Flu Crisis” at this time of year, following the global Coronavirus pandemic it’s understandable the media does not give this a great deal of attention, however this year we’ve seen what’s described by the NHS as a “Quad-demic” meaning pressures in A&E are as bad as during the pandemic.

The term “Quad-demic” refers to four viral illnesses circulating at the same time (specifically Covid-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus and norovirus).

NHS England advised in early December they were going into winter under more pressure than ever before with a 350% increase in flu cases and 86% rise in noroviruses cases in hospital compared to the previous year. This equated to an average of 1,099 people in hospital with flu every day, 1,390 with covid and 756 with norovirus.

Unfortunately the situation has continued to deteriorate with about 20 NHS hospitals declaring “critical incidents”, with long delays as they struggle with the record numbers of patients, with well over 5000 people in hospital daily with the flu alone.

Vaccines remain an essential tool, as does hand hygiene and professional cleaning standards. AIRsteril can also assist in many areas, laboratory testing has proven AIRsteril Technology can clear 99.99% of germs from the air within 10 minutes of dispersal to vastly reduce the risks from airborne pathogens.

Washrooms - You cannot socially distance in the washroom, flushing of toilets/urinals and use of hand dryers all add to the airborne contamination. Effective infection control in all multi user toilet facilities will reduce the spread of illness. ALS laboratory results demonstrated with an installed AIRsteril unit in public washrooms there was over 77% reduction in microorganisms, with all unpleasant odours also being eliminated.

Care Homes - Rooms where residents congregate, such as a lounge are key areas to consider AIRsteril, as are those places like reception frequented by visitors who can unfortunately bring illness into a home. The more areas treated the lower the risk but of course there are always budgetary constraints so AIRsteril can help prioritize accordingly. It’s also worth considering any area within a home which suffer odour challenges, not only will AIRsteril eliminate these odours, but they can also identify a location with poor airflow. AIRsteril has comprehensive Laboratory testing with proven effectiveness on many pathogens such as Coronavirus, Norovirus, MRSA and Clostridium Difficile.

Offices – Areas such as meeting rooms or reception are obvious hotspots like washrooms. AIRsteril’s desk top units (ProtectAIR) can be an ideal option in many offices, often a cost effective alternative to installing units throughout an open plan office. Open plan NHS call centre offices with AIRsteril Mulitiflex units installed experienced a 42% reduction in absenteeism.

Domestic - AIRsteril Silent Air products have long been the domestic unit of choice whether treating allergens in a bedroom, odours in a kitchen or keeping a lounge feeling fresh; however the ProtectAIR table top unit, with its flexible options to moved from room to room alongside the multiple adjustable fan speed allowing silent or high speed operation have now made this the most popular domestic AIRsteril unit.

NHS England » Hospitals managing record flu levels going into Winter

Flu crisis: FULL LIST of hospitals that have declared 'critical incidents' - and what it means for YOU | Daily Mail Online

Winter pressure causing strain as bad as pandemic, NHS bosses say - BBC News