NHS data shows one in 20 hospital beds was taken up last week by a patient with a "festive bug" - flu, norovirus, Covid or respiratory syncytial virus.
Some 2,504 patients on general wards across England had flu, a 40% week-on-week increase. A further 125 were in intensive care.
Risk
Norovirus accounted for 711 beds with 143 more closed due to infection risk. Covid patients took up 1,274 beds while 136 were needed for RSV.
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said the health service had been "hit hard with an early festive flu season, putting increased pressure on staff as they prepare for the long winter".
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