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A terrifying warning has been issued about the potentially deadly form of flu that could ravage the UK this winter. Experts have shared how this year the seasonal flu virus could be worse than seen before, as it beats our immune system . The virus mutated over the summer and appears to escape some of the immunity barriers our bodies have set up. The flu season has started a month earlier than usual this year and the message comes just days after the NHS issued an " urgent SOS " warning with flu cases already on the rise. The influenza virus changes all the time so a new jab is issued each year to combat the current strain. Typically the mutations are small but this summer the virus changed significantly, which experts have shared their concerns over. Prof Nicola Lewis, from the World Influenza Centre at the Francis Crick Institute, speaking to the BBC said: "We haven't seen a virus like this for a while, these dynamics are unusual It does concern me, absolutely. I'm not panicking, but I am worried." The H3N2 seasonal flu strain saw seven mutations happen in June. Flu symptoms vary between people, with some being ill for a few days and others not seeing any symptoms at all. However, the virus can be deadly in the elderly or people who are more vulnerable and have certain health concerns. Children heading back to school after half term, with the days and nights starting to get colder, saw a major rise in flu cases in the UK. Weekly infection data, released by the UK Health Security Agency, confirmed a surge driven by kids - which experts fear could now move up through older populations. Professor Lewis warned the current mutation and the H3N2 group of the influenza virus was a particularly bad one with a potentially dangerous impact for some people. The expert said: "H3 is always a hotter virus, it's a nastier virus, it's more impactful on the population." UKHSA data showed the worrying early start of the flu wave, as the rate of hospital admissions for flu in England stood at 3.8 per 100,000 people last week - up from 2.4 the previous week. This level of hospital admission is typically not reached until the start of the peak in December. At this point in 2024 the rate stood at only 1.1 per 100,000 people, while in 2023 it was 0.4 and in 2022 - the worst flu season for a decade - it was 1.4. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told the Mirror : "Flu and other respiratory viruses are beginning to take hold sooner than expected. It's an early warning sign that flu and other respiratory viruses are beginning to take hold sooner than expected." She added: "Older people, babies and young children, pregnant women and those with chronic conditions are all at higher risk of developing complications that may require hospitalisation." The NHS has urged the public to get vaccinated in a worrying "flu jab SOS", warning the public Britain could face its worst flu season on record this winter.
