Scientists are determined to find a cure for flu

Trials at 150 NHS hospitals will test drugs on thousands of flu-infected Brits over the next two years, and it is hoped that the boffins can replicate the life-saving treatment that slashed the risk of coronavirus.

The REMAP-CAP trial in 2021 proved that the arthritis drug tocilizumab helped to slash the risk of COVID death by over a third, and doctors across the globe started using the medicine straight away.

Flu cases in the UK are expected to rocket this winter after two years of lockdowns have crushed immunity to the bug.

Professor Anthony Gordon, from Imperial College London, said: "During the pandemic, our trial rapidly responded to a new virus and helped save lives.

"We're now redeploying it against a known threat.

"Flu is very infectious and can make children, the elderly, and vulnerable people seriously unwell in some cases.

"We hope that our trial will help to find urgently needed flu treatments rapidly."

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