http://www.smh.com.au/national/five-swine-flu-deaths-with-more-expected-20090714-dk5a.html
Five swine flu deaths, with more expected
d
Kate Benson and Mark Metherell
July 15, 2009
SYDNEY'S swine flu crisis has worsened with the death of a fifth victim and 32 people fighting for their lives in intensive care.
The virus, once thought no more deadly that seasonal influenza, has become "unstoppable', the World Health Organisation says, but Australians may wait three months for a vaccine.
The number of cases in Australia is expected to hit more than 10,000 today after jumping by 778 in 24 hours. Experts predict the worst is yet to come, with a surge in deaths expected next month.
Royal North Shore and Royal Prince Alfred hospitals yesterday cancelled all elective surgery requiring beds in intensive care and staff have been issued with antiviral medication.
Elective surgery at St Vincent's Hospital, also struggling with victims, will go ahead, but clinicians at St Vincent's and Royal Prince Alfred have been put on stand-by to retrieve critically ill regional patients needing last-resort cardiac bypass treatment enroute to Sydney.
Both hospitals have teams that can perform the treatment in road ambulances, but NSW Health has not ruled out sending more medical teams in helicopters if the situation across the state worsens.
A man, 55, with underlying medical conditions, died in St George hospital on Saturday, while authorities have yet to confirm that two men who died at Royal North Shore Hospital on Sunday were also infected.
The coroner was investigating their deaths because a cause of death could not determined, a hospital spokesman said.
Four patients at Royal Prince Alfred are being treated with cardiac bypass machines, while a woman, 48, is fighting for her life on a ventilator in St Vincent's Hospital.
All are healthy with no underlying medical conditions, prompting the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, to set up a clinical taskforce yesterday looking at why swine flu was striking young, healthy people.
The Commonwealth's chief medical officer, Jim Bishop, warned yesterday the disease would peak next month, stepping up pressure on hospitals.
There were 123 patients with swine flu across the nation, including 70 in NSW, but hospitals were coping well, he said.
"We do expect to see more pressure in the next six weeks as the peak of this likely outbreak goes through August."
The number of flu cases being seen by general practitioners was similar to 2007, but numbers going to hospital emergency departments were "a little higher" than previously, because of higher public awareness, he said.
Britons were told yesterday they would have access to a vaccine next month after a healthy girl, 6, died from swine flu in London.
But Australia is expecting to get the first of 21 million doses by October, when the worst of the epidemic is expected to have passed.
Clinical trials are due to start next week but a spokesman for CSL, Rachel David, said there would not be enough doses to treat everyone for at least a year.
- Meanwhile, a survey has shown that many parents remain oblivious that their children are overweight, a condition that has emerged as an important risk factor with swine flu.
A survey by the Bupa health insurance company showed only about 8 per cent of children were considered overweight by their parents, when official statistics showed almost a quarter were overweight or obese.
Do you know someone with swine flu in intensive care? Contact kbenson@smh.com.au
Five swine flu deaths, with more expected
d
Kate Benson and Mark Metherell
July 15, 2009
SYDNEY'S swine flu crisis has worsened with the death of a fifth victim and 32 people fighting for their lives in intensive care.
The virus, once thought no more deadly that seasonal influenza, has become "unstoppable', the World Health Organisation says, but Australians may wait three months for a vaccine.
The number of cases in Australia is expected to hit more than 10,000 today after jumping by 778 in 24 hours. Experts predict the worst is yet to come, with a surge in deaths expected next month.
Royal North Shore and Royal Prince Alfred hospitals yesterday cancelled all elective surgery requiring beds in intensive care and staff have been issued with antiviral medication.
Elective surgery at St Vincent's Hospital, also struggling with victims, will go ahead, but clinicians at St Vincent's and Royal Prince Alfred have been put on stand-by to retrieve critically ill regional patients needing last-resort cardiac bypass treatment enroute to Sydney.
Both hospitals have teams that can perform the treatment in road ambulances, but NSW Health has not ruled out sending more medical teams in helicopters if the situation across the state worsens.
A man, 55, with underlying medical conditions, died in St George hospital on Saturday, while authorities have yet to confirm that two men who died at Royal North Shore Hospital on Sunday were also infected.
The coroner was investigating their deaths because a cause of death could not determined, a hospital spokesman said.
Four patients at Royal Prince Alfred are being treated with cardiac bypass machines, while a woman, 48, is fighting for her life on a ventilator in St Vincent's Hospital.
All are healthy with no underlying medical conditions, prompting the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, to set up a clinical taskforce yesterday looking at why swine flu was striking young, healthy people.
The Commonwealth's chief medical officer, Jim Bishop, warned yesterday the disease would peak next month, stepping up pressure on hospitals.
There were 123 patients with swine flu across the nation, including 70 in NSW, but hospitals were coping well, he said.
"We do expect to see more pressure in the next six weeks as the peak of this likely outbreak goes through August."
The number of flu cases being seen by general practitioners was similar to 2007, but numbers going to hospital emergency departments were "a little higher" than previously, because of higher public awareness, he said.
Britons were told yesterday they would have access to a vaccine next month after a healthy girl, 6, died from swine flu in London.
But Australia is expecting to get the first of 21 million doses by October, when the worst of the epidemic is expected to have passed.
Clinical trials are due to start next week but a spokesman for CSL, Rachel David, said there would not be enough doses to treat everyone for at least a year.
- Meanwhile, a survey has shown that many parents remain oblivious that their children are overweight, a condition that has emerged as an important risk factor with swine flu.
A survey by the Bupa health insurance company showed only about 8 per cent of children were considered overweight by their parents, when official statistics showed almost a quarter were overweight or obese.
Do you know someone with swine flu in intensive care? Contact kbenson@smh.com.au
