Football fan, 26, faints on an airplane and nearly causes his flight to divert after being struck down with the killer 'Aussie flu'

  • Anthony Joseph lost consciousness during a flight from Aberdeen to London
  • Flight attendants discussed whether they needed to divert the plane to Leeds
  • Mr Joseph said his 2-week battle with H3N2, known as Aussie flu, was 'horrible'
  • It began on Boxing Day, when he went to Dundee to watch Celtic play football

A football fan fainted on an airplane and nearly caused a mid-flight emergency after being struck down with the killer 'Aussie flu' that is sweeping the UK.

Anthony Joseph, 26, who lives in south east London, suddenly took a turn for the worse when he was flying back from his home town Aberdeen.

He began to sweat heavily, his vision became blurry and his face was 'roasting' before he lost consciousness during the 90-minute trip.

Flight attendants were discussing whether they needed to divert the plane to Leeds when he came back round moments later, he claims.

Mr Joseph described his two-week battle with H3N2, or Aussie flu, as 'horrible'. It began on Boxing Day, when he went to Dundee to watch Celtic play football.

At first he assumed his symptoms were just 'man flu' - but in the following days he started to cough up blood and would wake up to 'buckets of sweat' in his bed.

Anthony Joseph, 26, who lives in south east London, suddenly took a turn for the worse when he was flying from Aberdeen back home at the end of December

Anthony Joseph, 26, who lives in south east London, suddenly took a turn for the worse when he was flying from Aberdeen back home at the end of December

Mr Joseph said: 'Now, I feel like I’ve fully recovered. I do still feel like I get tired more easily than usual but I’m slowly getting my full energy back.

'The only word to describe what I had is horrible. I had a few incidents but I’m lucky to have recovered from it and I am back to normal routine.' 

It comes as cases of flu have rocketed by 35 per cent in the space of a week in the UK, with H3N2 now getting into its full-swing.

The known death toll across the home nations currently sits at 97, with more fatalities expected in the coming weeks as the virus reaches its peak.

Mr Joseph claims his ordeal began in the run-up to Christmas, when he went home to Scotland to spend the festive period with his family.

He said: 'For a good few days I was doing okay - it must have been the adrenaline and excitement of being home for Christmas. 

'On reflection, if it wasn’t Christmas and I wasn’t back in hometown with friends and family, I’d have probably been in bed those days.'

But it wasn't until Boxing Day, when he made the trip to Dundee to watch Celtic play football, that the killer virus took its toll on Mr Joseph. 

He added: 'I knew it was a becoming a fever but tried to fight it and just keeping, knowing that it was the last day of the festivities for me.

'After returning from the football I went straight to a friend’s housewarming party. It was there where it started to go south. 

Flight attendants were discussing whether they needed to divert the plane to Leeds when he came back round moments later (Mr Joseph was handed a bottle of water, meant to be for crew only, when he regained consciousness)

Flight attendants were discussing whether they needed to divert the plane to Leeds when he came back round moments later (Mr Joseph was handed a bottle of water, meant to be for crew only, when he regained consciousness)

Mr Joseph, who works for MailOnline, didn't suffer from any symptoms until he made the trip to Dundee to watch Celtic play on Boxing Day (he is pictured with friends ahead of Celtic's match against Aberdeen on December 23)

Mr Joseph, who works for MailOnline, didn't suffer from any symptoms until he made the trip to Dundee to watch Celtic play on Boxing Day (he is pictured with friends ahead of Celtic's match against Aberdeen on December 23)

MOTHER'S HEARTACHE AS HER 18-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER DIES FROM FLU 

An 18-year-old girl has become the tragic victim of the flu, her heartbroken mother has revealed.

Bethany Walker, from Applecross, died after taking ill at home - initially from flu symptoms which later developed into pneumonia.

Miss Walker was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness but died later last Friday. Tributes have poured in on social media.

Bethany Walker, from Applecross, died after taking ill at home - initially from flu symptoms which later developed into pneumonia

Bethany Walker, from Applecross, died after taking ill at home - initially from flu symptoms which later developed into pneumonia

Her mother Heather Teale wrote on Facebook: 'My beautiful Daughter Bethany Walker was taken from me yesterday (Jan 5). 

'She had been suffering from a flu virus, which became pneumonia.

'She was airlifted to Raigmore with me by her side yesterday morning (Jan 5), where she rapidly deteriorated.

'The staff in Intensive Care could not have done more, she was given the best possible treatment from a team of eight people for over two hours, they tried everything possible but sadly despite their best efforts she didn't make it.'

She added: 'I am broken, the bottom has fallen out of my world. I have my mum with me, and my wonderful son Danny Walker who are both feeling the same loss as I am.

Miss Walker was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness but died later last Friday. Tributes have poured in on social media

Miss Walker was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness but died later last Friday. Tributes have poured in on social media

'Life will never be the same again. Bethany, I love you to the moon and back, I always have and I always will, you were the best daughter I could have ever wished for and I will always be the proudest mum in the world. 

'I have no more words. I'm truly devastated. Sleep tight my beautiful girl, your brother and I will love you forever, you will never be out of my thoughts as long as I live.'

Among those paying his respects was TV adventurer Monty Halls, who lived on the Applecross peninsula in 2008 for his Great Escapes series.

He wrote: 'Heather, I am so, so sorry to hear this news - it is beyond comprehension. Words seem so completely inadequate. 

'Every member of the film crew for Great Escapes remembers her so fondly, a total delight. 

'My deepest condolences to you, and your family. I know the entire team send their best wishes, their thoughts, and their love. Monty xxx'

The Applecross Inn Facebook also paid its own special tribute: 'Farewell to dear Bethany another fantastic member of our team who we sadly lost last Friday after a short illness, you were the 'belle of the ball' at Hogmanay......and indeed everywhere.

'Such a tragic loss of someone so perfect in every way, so polite, such beauty, humour, fun, music and studies.

'You were pure pleasure as an employee.....loved by every member of our team, so much devotion and dedication to all you did.'

Miss Walker wanted to study midwifery and was due to head for Aberdeen University later this year.

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'I was shivering in the house, actually shaking with how cold I was. I tried to have a cup of tea to warm me up but even that didn’t do the trick. 

'I was so tired and knackered and my body was aching. I had to call my brother to pick me up and take me home.'

When Mr Joseph returned home, his temperature breached 40°C (104°F) - which is often the sign of an underlying infection.

He revealed his fever 'wouldn't go away'. Mr Joseph added: 'The days that followed were just horrible. I couldn't get out of bed.

'I was sweating buckets night and day - I literally had a puddle on my pillow at times. My legs and arms were soaking with sweat as well, it was disgusting.

'My asthma was playing and I was constantly coughing. I still just felt like it was just bad man flu - nothing more serious.'

Mr Joseph had to cancel his flight back to London and subsequently missed a few days of work at his Kensington-based office.

After a few days, his fever became 'on and off', rather than constant, and he felt that he was okay to fly back home.

Mr Joseph, who works for MailOnline, described his two-week battle with H3N2, commonly referred to as Aussie flu, as 'horrible' (pictured with work colleagues at their Christmas party)

Mr Joseph, who works for MailOnline, described his two-week battle with H3N2, commonly referred to as Aussie flu, as 'horrible' (pictured with work colleagues at their Christmas party)

WHAT FLU STRAINS ARE IN THE UK? 

There are many different types of flu circulating around the world, but four main types are being seen in Britain this winter.

H3N2 - Dubbed ‘Aussie flu’ after it struck Australia hard last winter, this strain is more likely to affect the elderly, who do not respond well to the current vaccine. This is one of the most common strains seen so far this winter, with 63 confirmed cases seen in official laboratories.

H1N1 - This strain – known as ‘swine flu’ - is generally more likely to hit children, who respond well to vaccination. This has been seen nearly as often as H3N2 so far this year, with 50 cases confirmed in labs. In the past it was only commonly caught from pigs, but that changed in 2009 when it started spreading rapidly among humans in a major global pandemic.

B / Yamagata - This is known as 'Japanese flu'. Only people who received the ‘four strain’ vaccine - which is being slowly rolled out after it was introduced for the first time this winter - are protected against the Yamagata strain. Those who received the normal ‘three strain’ vaccine are not protected, and it has been seen in 63 lab cases so far this winter.

B / Victoria - This strain is vaccinated against in the normal ‘three strain’ vaccine, but has hardly appeared so far this winter, with just four confirmed cases.

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At first he assumed his symptoms were just 'man flu' - but he soon started to cough up blood (pictured with a friend during a night out in Aberdeen on December 23)

At first he assumed his symptoms were just 'man flu' - but he soon started to cough up blood (pictured with a friend during a night out in Aberdeen on December 23)

WHERE IS BEING HIT THE WORST?

Currently, Scotland is reporting the highest number of GP consultations for flu in the UK - rising from 46.3 per 100,000 people to 107.2 per 100,000 people.

This is more than double the amount in Northern Ireland (52.6) and almost triple that of Wales (38.9). In contrast, England’s rate is 37.3.

Officials class an outbreak as reaching epidemic levels when flu-like symptoms being reported in GP consultations hit a certain rate.

Each of the home nations has a different level, with England's being set at 109 cases per 100,000 people. In Scotland it is 419, Northern Ireland 142 and Wales 75.

Between the last week of December, dubbed 51, and the first week of January, dubbed one, England saw a 77 per cent jump in flu symptoms.

Using this percentage, MailOnline predicted that England will reach epidemic levels by week three - before the end of January.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all saw jumps of between 131 and 132 per cent in flu symptoms. These figures were used for their projections.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will hit epidemic levels at the same time as England. Wales will reach its epidemic threshold by next week, if current trends continue. 

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But during the flight, he took a turn for the worse and he began to start feeling 'really drowsy'. His face was also roasting - even though he felt like he was 'freezing'.

Mr Joseph said: 'My vision was starting to go all blurry. I called a flight attendant, who said I didn’t look and she gave me water. 

'She asked me to come to the front of the plane and it was then that I fainted. It was more embarrassing than anything else. 

'But when I came round again I could hear the flight attendants discussing whether they needed to land at Leeds.'

Mr Joseph reassured them that he was okay and he would be fine for the duration of the flight.

Upon his return to his one-bedroom flat, he went straight to bed and spent most of his day there.

He was unable to make his shift on New Year's Eve - even though he was feeling a little better in himself. He returned on New Year's Day.

But on January 2 he was sent to hospital after a phone call with his GP and a visit to the nurse at his work after coughing up blood all morning. 

Mr Joseph checked in to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital A&E, where he spent seven hours having a chest X-ray, swabs and blood tests. 

He said: 'It was there that I was told I had this strain [H3N2], which has been dubbed Aussie flu. I was told to just go home and rest and stay away from people.

I' went to my GP the next, who felt I was on the right road to recovery and that I had probably seen the worst of it. 

'He signed me off work for nearly another week and told me to avoid contact with people as much as possible until 48 hours after my fever had gone.'

Eventually his symptoms started to fade by January 6. 

WHERE CAN YOU GET THE FLU JAB?

Flu can be a serious illness. If you become very ill with it, it can cause complications such as pneumonia, inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle, and kidney failure.

People at most risk of serious illness or death if they get flu are offered the vaccine on the NHS. Ideally you should have this before the end of December, when flu peaks (it takes about two weeks after the jab for antibodies to develop completely).

At-risk groups include anyone aged 65 and over; people living in long-stay residential care homes; carers and pregnant women.

The vaccine is also offered to anyone aged six months to 65 years with certain conditions, such as diabetes.

It is available via your GP's surgery.

All children aged two to eleven (on August 31, 2017) are also offered the vaccine as a nasal spray. The UK introduced the child vaccination programme in 2013 — last year, the vaccine had 66 per cent effectiveness. Australia does not have a similar programme.

If you don't qualify to have the jab on the NHS, you can pay to get it at a pharmacy.

Well Pharmacy charges £9 to £14 (depending on the number of strains in the vaccine), Superdrug from £9.99, Lloyds Pharmacy £10, Boots £12.99, and Tesco £9.

Older children who fall outside the NHS scheme can get the nasal spray vaccine from some pharmacies such as Well (£23 for those aged between two and 18; this may involve a second dose at least four weeks later for another £23) and the injection for those 12 and over for £9.

Boots offers the jab to those aged 16 and over at £12.99. Tesco offers it to those 12 and over at £9. 

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