Love Island’s Dr Alex warns flu can be just as dangerous as coronavirus

Dr Alex George is warning people to remember that the flu can be just as dangerous as coronavirus.

As cold and flu season approaches, the Love Island star and A&E doctor is encouraging vulnerable people who are eligible for the flu vaccine to get one.

He says people need to work hard to protect themselves and others.

During an exclusive chat with Mirror Online, Dr Alex detailed exactly how dangerous flu can be and why it spreads so quickly.

The 30-year-old, who tragically lost his younger brother Llŷr recently, said: “Our concerns are in winter that our behaviours change, we spend more time indoors and tend to be in closer proximity to people because it’s cold and wet and that’s why we see more flu cases in winter.

“This is why flu campaigns like this are important, because we see a lot more cases, particularly in elderly people and vulnerable groups.

“What we’re worried about is having that and having coronavirus because people are inside more and closer and there’s a higher risk of catching out.

“There’s the worry of having pressures from flu and from coronavirus and how much pressure that will put on the hospitals and that’s why it’s so important that we focus on this flu campaign and make sure that running into winter we’re doing whatever we can to protect ourselves and others.”

He added: “We get a lot of deaths from flu these days, it’s around 17,000 deaths per year in the UK and that surprises people.

“Research carried out by Lloyd’s Pharmacy found that one in 10 people didn’t realise that the flu could kill so it’s something we do face a lot.

“People think the flu is just a bad cold but in reality it can be very serious.”

Dr Alex, who returns with a new series of his podcast The Waiting Room in October, said that while there are some similarities between flu and coronavirus, people need to be aware of the symptoms so that they can be tested as early as possible.

He explained: “There are similarities between coronavirus and flu but the number of deaths we’ve seen is far, far greater than the flu and what we need to do is make sure that people are recognising the symptoms and getting tested early and making sure they know how to look after themselves.”

According to new research, around 30 million people in the UK are eligible for the flu vaccine as they’re considered more vulnerable than others.

Dr Alex, who also works to keep people informed on his YouTube channel, says the flu can lead to other complications and could pose a serious risk to someone’s health.

He said: “Coronavirus is very serious but flu itself can lead to other complications.

“People who have underlying health conditions like asthma or diabetes are at far greater risk of becoming very unwell with the flu and that’s why the vaccination programme which the NHS has been running for years is about encouraging particularly vulnerable people to get vaccinated, which now is up to about 30 million people who’ll be eligible.

“The 50s and above will be eligible for the vaccine, which has been running for a number of years and is encouraged by all healthcare professionals because it is important.

“It’s the one thing we can do to really protect ourselves from the flu so I hope people will take it seriously this year.

“The flu vaccine is the one thing that can protect us from the virus and if you are in those vulnerable groups it is recommended that you get it.”

He added: “A lot of people don’t realise that the flu is actually very contagious, about 50% of people don’t realise.

“It’s easily caught and it’s particularly infectious from days one to five of having symptoms, so that’s a really high risk to pass it on to other people.

“Especially running into winter, now is the time to act to protect yourself before we get there, so making sure we’re clued up and have the knowledge to look after ourselves is so important.”

* Dr Alex George is supporting LloydsPharmacy’s flu campaign which aims to improve people’s understanding of flu and the importance of getting the flu jab. Visit www.lloydspharmacy.com/pages/flu-vaccination to find out about LloydsPharmacy’s flu vaccination service and the best ways to protect yourself and others from the flu this year.