'Double whammy' of Covid and cold infections wreaks havoc with blocked noses and coughs

A "double whammy of infections" is spreading throughout the UK - and runny noses and coughs are becoming quite common at the moment, experts say.

Covid cases were up a staggering 30% in the UK in the week up to September 22 and hospital admissions of people with the disease also rose. At the same time, the common cold virus (rhinovirus) continued to spread quickly across the nation - and the combination has, for a while, wiped families out.

And experts have been a chilling warning that the situation will only get worse as the weather continues to get colder, and gatherings like freshers' week at universities take place.

“There are a lot of people suffering from runny noses and coughs at the moment. This is due to a double whammy of infections with the common cold virus (rhinovirus) and with the Covid virus," Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, told the i.

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Prof Young advised people to avoid crowded and poorly-ventilated spaces and wear a face mask if they are concerned. Public Health Wales urged those eligible to get vaccinated against the flu and Covid viruses.

A new strain of Covid, the XEC variant, has been identified with cases said to be spreading in the UK. So far there is no evidence that shows it is any different to former strains of the virus with the vaccine offering decent protection against it, Wales Online reports.

Those eligible for a flu vaccine include:

• Pregnant women
• People aged 65 and over
• People who live in a care home or who are in long-stay care
• People with a learning disability
• People who live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• People who are homeless
• Carers aged 16 and over
• Frontline health and social care workers
• Staff working in care homes who have regular contact with clients

Children aged two and three years on August 31, 2024, are also eligible for the nasal spray vaccine. These will be given at GP surgeries and primary schools.

But coronavirus shares symptoms with other diseases, some of which have no vaccine. Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV) is starting to pose a threat to the UK, particularly children and the elderly. It could easily be mistaken for another, less serious illness because its symptoms also include a cough and shortness of breath.