Record number of flu cases across health district including The Hills

Flu cases have gone through the roof across the health district — which includes The Hills — with a record number of cases reported during the beginning of winter.

Flu cases have spiked since the start of winter in the Western Sydney LHD.

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If your workplace has felt light on numbers in recent weeks chances are it could have something to do with flu cases going through the roof across the health district — which includes The Hills — with a record number of cases reported during the beginning of winter.

During June, a total of 4061 people tested positive for influenza in the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), after seeking medical help from a doctor or at the hospital.

That is the highest number of influenza notifications for the month of June on record in the health district, according to data supplied by NSW Health.

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Even a horror flu season in 2017 had less notifications for the month of June, although cases spiked during August of that year (with 8081 tested cases).

The number of people who tested positive for the flu only included patients who visited a medical professional and had a lab test, meaning the real number of people who suffered from the flu during June would have been much higher.

NSW Health published on its website “only a small proportion of influenza cases will be notified because most sufferers do not seek medical attention”.

Doctors and hospital emergency departments have been kept busy with an influx of people suffering from the flu.

NSW Health released a warning last week urging people suffering from the flu to stay away from retirement homes to prevent outbreaks.

There have been 66 confirmed deaths of people aged over 60 from flu-related complications since the beginning of the year in NSW, including nine last week.

NSW Health would not confirm where those nine people died.

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“Elderly people often have chronic or complex conditions that are aggravated by influenza,” Vicky Sheppeard, the NSW Health director of communicable diseases, said.

“While we acknowledge the importance of visiting family members and friends in aged-care facilities, if you are unwell with the flu we are asking people to stay home and minimise contact with other people if possible, until you have recovered.”