The hidden costs of the flu season for people with cystic fibrosis

The hidden costs of the flu season for people with cystic fibrosis

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) are particularly vulnerable to the flu epidemic currently hitting the UK, a University of Manchester clinical researcher has warned.

Professor Alex Horsley made the comments following last week's news that flu cases had risen by 55% in a week, with an average of 2,660 patients being treated in an NHS hospital bed per day - the highest ever for this time of year.

In the North West, the latest figures show a 36.6% increase in the number of people hospitalized with flu.

NHS England is also urging eligible populations, including people with cystic fibrosis, to come forward for flu vaccinations as soon as they can avoid serious illness.

Patients with cystic fibrosis often experience chronic infections and coughs, which are usually controlled with medication in a nebulizer to clear mucus in the lungs and antibiotics to control the infection.

However, the flu can sometimes be devastating, causing lung infections, shortness of breath and hospitalization.

Professor Horsley, a leading expert in cystic fibrosis, is the University of Manchester Professor of Respiratory Diseases at Wythenshawe Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Medical Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Clinical Research Facility at Wythenshawe Hospital.

He said:“CF is an inherited disease and one of the most common life-limiting genetic conditions in the UK, affecting around 11,000 people.

“It mainly affects the lungs, but also has significant effects on the pancreas, leading to malnutrition and diabetes, as well as the intestines and liver.

“For people with CF, the winter wave of flu and flu-like illnesses can be particularly challenging and damaging.

“That’s why it’s so important that people take care this time of year, make sure they’re vaccinated against flu, and do their best to avoid contact with people with viral symptoms.”

“At our cystic fibrosis center at Wythenshawe Hospital, we carry out emergency check-ins every weekday to assess people with acute health conditions and start treatment as quickly as possible.

“But we are also exploring better ways to help people with CF and are leading a new study to understand and prevent CF.”

Previous work in Manchester has highlighted the potential impact of viral infections on people with CF and how this may be linked to increased hospital admissions and the need for intravenous antibiotics.

However, the new study, part of a multi-million pound Research Innovation Hub funded by the CF Trust, now hopes to define exactly which viruses are responsible for the worst infections in people with CF and how they do this.

Researchers plan to use the information to discover and test new treatments to prevent exacerbations. This study, called CF Tracker, is taking place at the University of Manchester but involves researchers and clinical teams across the UK.

Recent advances in CF therapies include a group of drugs called CFTR modulators, and Manchester led the latest clinical trials of these therapies.

Since CFTR modulators, people with cystic fibrosis have become accustomed to much better health and fewer pulmonary symptoms.

But up to a quarter of CF adults require intravenous antibiotics each year, and some require multiple courses of treatment. These are serious events, not only because they disrupt work and personal life, but also because they are associated with a more rapid decline in health and survival.”

Horsley, Professor, University of Manchester

Laura's Beattie's story

She said:“My cystic fibrosis made it very difficult for me when I came down with the flu in 2022. It completely knocked me out and I went to the emergency room because I was breathing so hard, my oxygen saturation was dropping and my heart rate was very high.

"It was twice as bad because I spent the Christmas period on oxygen 24 hours a day, intravenous antibiotics all day and constant IV fluids. It took a long time to get back to normal and it continued to affect me for months afterwards."

"Earlier this year I was admitted again for another virus. That admission was one of the longest I've ever had. Even now, at home, I'm still recovering and nowhere near back to normal."

"It's incredibly frustrating when you don't know exactly what triggered an exacerbation, and it's even more frustrating when you don't know how the illness will affect you while you're going through it or how long recovery will take."

“Viral infections such as influenza or CF exacerbation or a CF exacerbation caused by a virus are completely unpredictable.

"You never know how hard they will hit or how much they could change things in the long term. This uncertainty is truly frightening and the impact on the course of your CF can be huge."

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