BBC doctor issues warning about ‘life-threatening’ illness part of winter ‘quad-demic’

He said warnings of a 'quad-demic' were 'actually quite useful'

Dr Xand appeared on Morning Live to urge Brits to take action as four illnesses - flu, RSV, norovirus and Covid-19 - spread across the nation.

This combination of four illnesses was dubbed a 'quad-demic' by the national medical director of the NHS earlier this month.

In particular, flu cases are surging at the moment, and are up by 350 per cent from this time last year.

And Dr Xand urged viewers to get a flu jab to protect themselves against the potentially "life-threatening illness."

The GP said warnings of a 'quad-demic' are "actually quite useful because they should prompt everyone in the middle of the busy chaos of Christmas to go 'hang on a minute I actually should avoid getting all these things'".

Dr Tulleken continued: "So you’ve got these four things going around, it’s a huge burden on the NHS. So there’s been a slightly lower normal than uptake of the flu vaccine and you only need a few more vulnerable people and a little less vaccine [uptake] and suddenly the opportunity for this virus spread [increases] and of course flu can be life-threatening."

Explaining the difference between flu and the common cold, Dr Xand said a cold will "come on a little bit more slowly and typically a cold is upper respiratory tract. Perhaps you may have a very sore throat with a lot of snot and nasal congestion."

On the other hand, he warned that flue will "drop you like a sack of bricks" and "can be life-threatening."

"It can hospitalise you and cause major problems," he continued. "It tends to come quickly and flu is what you call a whole systemic illness so it’s muscle pains, severe muscle soreness, weakness, exhaustion, being short of breath. Sometimes confusion and it can make many other health conditions worse. So the big distinction basically is flu, the really bad one".

Dr Xand urged anyone with pre-existing health conditions to be aware that flu can affect these, and can cause pneumonia, blood clots and loss of muscle.

The best way to reduce your risk of catching the flu or being hospitalised with flu is by getting vaccinated. If you are aged 65 or over, are pregnant, or have certain long-term health conditions, you will be eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine this winter.

You can find out more about the flu vaccine and whether or not your eligible for a free jab by visiting the NHS website here.

Dr Xand also debunked the common saying that you should 'feed a cold, starve a fever,' saying everyone should "ignore" this.

He said the saying is "one I’ve always found really annoying and strange because one of the symptom in another an infection."

"If you’ve got flu, you do not want to starve it. So ignore it [saying], nurse yourself well and eat healthy."