http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6585479.ece
June 26, 2009
The number of newly-diagnosed swine flu cases in England has jumped by nearly a fifth in a single day, the latest figures show.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that 535 new cases were confirmed today, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 3,364.
Officials announced yesterday that London and the West Midlands would abandon attempts to contain the spread of the virus, instead opting for a policy of managing the outbreak.
This will involve suspected cases of H1N1 virus being clinically diagnosed by doctors rather than being confirmed by laboratory results.
Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, warned that Britain could soon expect to see a surge of illness, with tens of thousands of cases of swine flu emerging each week by the autumn.
The West Midlands is the most badly affected area of Britain, recording at least 1,516 cases.
Some hospitals in that region have created triage areas to cope with complaints of symptoms.
London is the other swine flu “hotspot”, with 225 new cases announced today FRI taking the total to 985.
Scotland has confirmed 922 cases, while there have been 25 cases in Northern Ireland and 12 in Wales, meaning the total number of UK cases has risen to 4,323.
The HPA’s official “containment” policy has so far involved trying to ring-fence outbreaks by tracing the people with whom confirmed cases have come into contact and giving them drugs to try to prevent flu developing.
This approach has also involved the closure of several schools.
But once the virus starts to spread freely in a community that policy becomes impractical.
The new policy being adopted in London and West Midlands means that swabbing will take place only for a small number of cases to keep track of the strength of the virus.
Doctors will also use the antiviral drugs more selectively, given them only to people with symptoms, rather than everyone who comes into contact with them.
Sir Liam said on Thursday that the UK was likely to receive its first batches of swine flu vaccine in August, rather than in the autumn as first expected.
The Government has contracts with two manufacturers for 132m doses — enough for the whole population.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “The cases of swine flu found in the UK have so far been generally mild in most people, but are proving to be severe in a small minority of cases.
“We are continuing to work to slow the spread of the disease and to put in place arrangements to ensure that the UK is well-placed to deal with this new infection.”
On Monday and Tuesday this week NHS Direct received more than 6,500 calls from people worried they had the virus.
“People who have flu-like symptoms and are concerned, are advised to stay at home and if possible check their symptoms on the cold and flu symptom checker on www.nhs.uk,” she said.
June 26, 2009
The number of newly-diagnosed swine flu cases in England has jumped by nearly a fifth in a single day, the latest figures show.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that 535 new cases were confirmed today, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 3,364.
Officials announced yesterday that London and the West Midlands would abandon attempts to contain the spread of the virus, instead opting for a policy of managing the outbreak.
This will involve suspected cases of H1N1 virus being clinically diagnosed by doctors rather than being confirmed by laboratory results.
Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, warned that Britain could soon expect to see a surge of illness, with tens of thousands of cases of swine flu emerging each week by the autumn.
The West Midlands is the most badly affected area of Britain, recording at least 1,516 cases.
Some hospitals in that region have created triage areas to cope with complaints of symptoms.
London is the other swine flu “hotspot”, with 225 new cases announced today FRI taking the total to 985.
Scotland has confirmed 922 cases, while there have been 25 cases in Northern Ireland and 12 in Wales, meaning the total number of UK cases has risen to 4,323.
The HPA’s official “containment” policy has so far involved trying to ring-fence outbreaks by tracing the people with whom confirmed cases have come into contact and giving them drugs to try to prevent flu developing.
This approach has also involved the closure of several schools.
But once the virus starts to spread freely in a community that policy becomes impractical.
The new policy being adopted in London and West Midlands means that swabbing will take place only for a small number of cases to keep track of the strength of the virus.
Doctors will also use the antiviral drugs more selectively, given them only to people with symptoms, rather than everyone who comes into contact with them.
Sir Liam said on Thursday that the UK was likely to receive its first batches of swine flu vaccine in August, rather than in the autumn as first expected.
The Government has contracts with two manufacturers for 132m doses — enough for the whole population.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “The cases of swine flu found in the UK have so far been generally mild in most people, but are proving to be severe in a small minority of cases.
“We are continuing to work to slow the spread of the disease and to put in place arrangements to ensure that the UK is well-placed to deal with this new infection.”
On Monday and Tuesday this week NHS Direct received more than 6,500 calls from people worried they had the virus.
“People who have flu-like symptoms and are concerned, are advised to stay at home and if possible check their symptoms on the cold and flu symptom checker on www.nhs.uk,” she said.