Swine flu spreading rapidly

[Tonka]

http://www.gp.se/nyheter/goteborg/1.240763-svininfluensan-sprids-snabbt
Translation: Swedish ? English

Swine flu spreading rapidly

Now, the number of cases of swine influenza rapidly in western Sweden. From 25 cases two weeks ago to over 100 last week. And it is mainly young people who suffer.

Related Article images

Ann Soderstrom, infectious disease physician finds that the number of cases has increased. While it is in some places scarce vaccine and vaccinating staff. Image: Henric Lindsten

Facts
Adverse event reports
From health care: About 200

From the public: 400-500

About 20 are considered serious, especially is it all about allergic reactions. Distribution across the country
Breakdown of county total 2 126 cases:

V?stra G?taland: 249

Scania: 259

Stockholm: 829

V?sterbotten: 198

Halland: 16

V?rmland: 19

Engineering: 19

?rebro: 16

?sterg?tland: 44

Kronoberg: 32
Article Series
Swine flu
Students disease
2009-11-03
Prescription medicine
2009-11-03
Another death in flu
2009-11-03
Three year old died in hospital investigated
2009-11-02I Gothenburg is a pregnant woman of 25 who suffered in intensive care and her situation becomes serious. She was placed on a ventilator. In Stockholm, investigated whether flu is why a three-year boy died over the weekend at the Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital.

Infectious Disease Physicians Ann Soderstrom in V?stra G?taland notes that the number of cases has increased.

- It's about a sharp increase during the past week and the increase has also been very rapid. We can not exclude that even more affected in the coming weeks

The same analysis doing today Mats Erntell County Medical Officer of Halland, although the number of cases is not more than 23 total.

Of the 100 cases in V?stra G?taland, nearly half (about 45 per cent) of people aged 15 to 39 years and over 30 cases of persons between 5 and 14 years. Very few people over 40 years has been affected.

While there is a dark figure and Infectious Diseases Institute states that parts of the statistics are flawed. The county councils are poor at reporting the number of infected who were treated in hospital. Nobody knows now what's up how great that proportion is.

More than 100 000 vaccinees in the region

Ann Soderstrom says that so far vaccinated around 100 000 people in V?stra G?taland, probably even more.

- We expect to cope with risk groups this week. The entire risk group comprises about 150 000 inhabitants in the region, "said Ann Soderstrom. Although health professionals should take place this week, according to our plan.

One problem is that some clinics have a shortage of vaccine.

- There is a situation of vaccine shortage and it is not good. We try to contribute to the clinics, including antenatal clinics that have received the vaccine passes the vaccine to the units that have shortages. The vaccine itself can handle 18 months in bottle, but have begun to use the vaccine must be used within 24 hours.

Vaccinating schoolchildren begin next week

Next week, the vaccination of school children to start. It starts with low-and middle school and also children 3-5 years.

- Here we prioritize the youngest children first and then the slightly older, then teenagers. Since its inception depends a bit on what resources the school health services have.

- We believe that we can manage our part of the vaccination of 13 000 high school students, "says Solveig Wahlqvist, Planning for Education, Gothenburg. We have our own staff and then hire professionals likely during weeks 48 and 49 to clear the vaccination.

In older homes are vaccination started. Here it is each patient's medical status to determine, not how old you are. Healthy older people may have to wait quite a while since many of them considered to have good protection.

Ann Soderstrom also believe that a problem is the shortage of health workers who can perform the vaccination in some quarters.

- We have also had the help of retired staff who jumped in to cover the gaps.

Mats Erntell in Halland says that there is plenty of vaccine in the current situation:

- We got a new game last week, and we believe that it all worked well.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Swine flu spreading rapidly

Flu hits harder

Published: November 4, 2009,

The pressure on the country's university hospitals by patients who contracted the flu has risen sharply since the weekend, according to a circular ring that SvD has done.

With two million vaccinated Smittskyddsinstitutet hope that the outbreak can be mitigated. But it becomes a race against the clock in Stockholm hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren will have time to vaccinate.


At Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, which takes care of the most severe swine influenza cases, 21 patients had been posted yesterday, thirteen of whom were children.

Two children and an adult is so bad that they need intensive care, but none of them has so far had known as ECMO-treatment, care of the artificial lung.

- In recent days there has been a doubling of health care need. Most are relatively minor symptoms of lime, "says Stefan Engqvist, Chief Physician at Karolinska University Hospital.

And the increasing pressure on health services is reflected in the whole country, showing SvD's circular ring of all university hospitals.

At Sahlgrenska in Gothenburg is four adults and three children include pigs with confirmed influenza. Nobody has had intensive care in addition to a 25-year-old pregnant woman who received treatment in a respirator.

The woman, however, was better yesterday, but still nursed in intensive care. The number of sick in the flu has risen markedly in recent days, according to chief medical officer says Christina Ranere.

Even at the Uppsala Academic Hospital, the pressure increased sharply since the weekend. Yesterday was the hospital a dozen suspected cases in one day.

- Last week we saw that there was a steeply rising curve of the number infected in the SMI's statistics. Now we notice the hospital floor, "says G?ran G?nther, Director of Infectious Diseases.

A total of three to four patients admitted to care, but yesterday was not added. The hospital will now open up the infection clinic at night to meet the rising tide of disease.

Even at ?rebro University Hospital, the number of applicants has increased in recent days. A total of seven patients admitted to hospital from complications of swine influenza, six adults and one child. Five of the seven belonged to risk groups. Cabins and has been mildly sick. In addition, a man died at the age of 50 at home in the aftermath of swine influenza.

S?der Hospital in Stockholm had yesterday seven inpatients with swine influenza, compared with three last week. No one has been seriously ill. Many have also sought for the ordinary seasonal flu. In total it had 18 swine flu cases diagnosed.

In ?sterg?tland get a flu patient-ventilator care, at Norrland University Hospital, 32 needed hospital treatment since the epidemic began, only one of them has required intensive care. In Malm?, there are two additions and three more suspected cases were submitted yesterday. Total of eleven patients treated in hospitals in southern Sweden for swine influenza. Of those worth two in the artificial lung, known as ECMO-treatment and on a respirator. None of them belong to groups at risk.

Infectious Diseases Institute notes that the first real wave of swine influenza infection is upon us.

- So far, spread of disease does not affect functions important to society, "said Annika Linde, state epidemiologist in the Infectious Diseases Institute.

- By two million have already been vaccinated, we will also probably not see this, "she adds.

Annika Linde, however, does not believe that somehow climax is reached.

- At least not in southern Sweden, possibly in the northern counties, "she says.

In Stockholm, the vaccination of school children had launched while the infection is spreading rapidly. On Gustavsbergs clinic V?rmd? begin to prioritize children and adolescents until next week. The reason is, according to unit head Annika ?sberg to be too late, was told that this group would be a priority.

On Monday evening, V?rmd? residents fighting about 2 000 tidlappar a vaccintid distributed in five different places in the municipality.

One of the lucky ones managed to get over a tidlapp was Ake Engstrom, 81 years.

- I belong to no good division, but I want to protect my grandchildren from infection, "he says.

http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_3748549.svd