FLU cases are exploding and hospital cases have doubled in a fortnight.
Thousands of Brits face Christmas on their sickbed or even a hospital ward with the bug.
PAThe number of Brits needing hospital care for flu has doubled in two weeks[/caption]
The winter virus is surging for the first time in three years after it was squashed by Covid restrictions.
Hospital wards in England now have 2,515 infected patients, including 186 in intensive care.
It is more than double the 1,218 patients two weeks ago, on December 8, and a 70 per cent increase in a week.
By comparison, Covid patients are taking up 8,643 beds and 174 in ICU.
Read more on winter bugs
But coronavirus is rising at a slower rate, with cases increasing by 57 per cent in a fortnight compared to 106 per cent for flu.
The UK is currently blighted by common bugs that have not circulated for years due to lockdowns.
Scarlet fever cases in children, caused by the Strep A bacteria, are through the roof.
And experts have warned of a flu-like “super cold” that millions are struggling to shake.
Pressure from the winter virus “twindemic” is clogging up hospitals, adding to ambulance and A&E delays.
Waits were already at record highs even before winter pressures and strike action ramped up.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: “As well as the impact of industrial action, it is clear that the NHS is facing enormous pressure ahead of Christmas with the number of flu cases in hospital and in intensive care rising week-on-week.
“This is on top of significant increases in staff sickness rates and near-record demand for services like 111.
“With more industrial action scheduled for next week, there will be disruption but we urge the public to continue to use services wisely.”
Hospital backlogs mean ambulance delays continued to get worse last week – before the strikes.
One in four crews now spend more than an hour waiting to hand their patient over to A&E staff so they can get back on the road.
And four in 10 take half an hour or more – the target is for all ambulances to offload within 15 minutes.
NHS bosses fear demand and delays will get worse over the Christmas period because of a drop in 999 calls during the ambulance strike.
Saffron Cordery, chief of NHS Providers, said the next few days will be “challenging”.
She added: “I think emergency departments, particularly, are going to feel the strain in those areas where there were strikes.
“For ambulance services that was in every part of the country apart from the East of England.”