Britain is facing a sharp return to mask-wearing guidance as an extra-mutated strain known as the 'superflu' drives record hospital admissions and prompts NHS warnings of a historic winter crisis.
The NHS has reported an unusually early start to the flu season, with officials stating that a drifted influenza A(H3N2) strain called 'subclade K' is now dominating cases across the country. This mutated form has proved more infectious than strains seen in previous years and is linked to more severe illness, higher hospital admissions and an increase in people contracting multiple seasonal viruses simultaneously.
