http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/09/25/newsstory13842533t0.asp
Top of swine flu cases list
By Marjory Inglis, health reporter, and Aileen Robertson
Seven people with swine flu confirmed by laboratory were admitted to hospitals in Tayside during the last week?half the Scottish total.
The figures were revealed in Health Protection Scotland?s latest weekly report on the influenza A H1N1 virus.
The health authority again reported the highest number of people in Scotland consulting their GP with flu-like illnesses, not necessarily swine flu.
Dr Drew Walker, NHS Tayside director of public health, said, ?Our latest figures reported by the Scottish Government for Tayside show an increase in the number of people consulting their GP or calling NHS 24 with flu-like symptoms and this is consistent with what we are seeing across the whole country.?
The Tayside rate was 156 per 100,000 of the population, up from the previous week?s rate of 121 per 100,000 and well above the Scottish average rate of 62 per 100,000.
The rate for Fife was 46 per 100,000, up from 26 per 100,000 the previous week.
?Although the figures for Tayside remain higher than the Scottish average, they are based on relatively small sample sizes and so should be interpreted with caution,? Dr Walker added.
?In the last week, there have been seven patients treated in hospital who have been confirmed as having Influenza A (H1N1).
?All of these patients have now been discharged home.
?We?d like to take this opportunity to remind people with flu symptoms that they should not turn up unannounced to a GP surgery, an out-of-hours centre or one of our A&E departments.
?This is because we need to ensure other patients waiting to see a doctor or nurse are not exposed to possible Influenza A (H1N1) infection.
?The risk to the general public from this virus remains low and the overwhelming majority of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms.
?If anyone does feel unwell and has any flu-like symptoms they should phone their own GP or NHS24 on 08454 24 24 24 and they will advise you what to do next.?
More than 7000 people across Scotland are estimated to have contracted swine flu over the last week, most of them being treated at home and experiencing relatively mild symptoms.
The Scottish Government, however, confirmed yesterday that a patient from Lanarkshire is in a critical condition after being transferred to a hospital in Leicester for specialist ECMO treatment, the same oxygen treatment given in a Swedish hospital to a pregnant patient from Scotland.
Glenfield Hospital in Leicester is the only UK hospital to offer the treatment, which involves circulating blood outside a patient?s body and adding oxygen.
When Ayrshire woman Sharon Pentleton became seriously ill with swine flu when she was pregnant, she was flown to Stockholm for treatment because the ECMO beds in Leicester were all full.
The total number of patients hospitalised across Scotland with laboratory confirmed swine flu last week was 14.
There have been nine deaths linked to influenza A (H1N1) since the start of the outbreak.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the latest figures show another increase in the number of people consulting their GP, an increase in the number of overall estimated cases and an increase in the proportion of samples testing positive for H1N1.
?The potential threat from H1N1 remains serious, even if it continues to be a relatively mild virus,? Ms Sturgeon said.
?Vaccination is the best defence we have against the H1N1 virus and Scotland is preparing very well for the vaccination programme.
In line with figures for the whole of Scotland, more people in Fife have been going to the doctor for flu-like illnesses.
?There has been an increase in the rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses, not necessarily H1N1, across Scotland from 53.3 per 100,000 last week to 62.1 per 100,000 this week,? a spokeswoman for NHS Fife said.
?In Fife, the rate has increased from 31 per 100,000 last week to 46 per 100,000 this week?still remaining below the national average.?
NHS Fife said it had ?robust contingency plans? in place to cope with a surge in swine flu cases.
?We continue to respond to our local circumstances and plan for developments, reviewing our preparations and liaising with partner agencies and the Scottish Government,? the spokeswoman added.
Top of swine flu cases list
By Marjory Inglis, health reporter, and Aileen Robertson
Seven people with swine flu confirmed by laboratory were admitted to hospitals in Tayside during the last week?half the Scottish total.
The figures were revealed in Health Protection Scotland?s latest weekly report on the influenza A H1N1 virus.
The health authority again reported the highest number of people in Scotland consulting their GP with flu-like illnesses, not necessarily swine flu.
Dr Drew Walker, NHS Tayside director of public health, said, ?Our latest figures reported by the Scottish Government for Tayside show an increase in the number of people consulting their GP or calling NHS 24 with flu-like symptoms and this is consistent with what we are seeing across the whole country.?
The Tayside rate was 156 per 100,000 of the population, up from the previous week?s rate of 121 per 100,000 and well above the Scottish average rate of 62 per 100,000.
The rate for Fife was 46 per 100,000, up from 26 per 100,000 the previous week.
?Although the figures for Tayside remain higher than the Scottish average, they are based on relatively small sample sizes and so should be interpreted with caution,? Dr Walker added.
?In the last week, there have been seven patients treated in hospital who have been confirmed as having Influenza A (H1N1).
?All of these patients have now been discharged home.
?We?d like to take this opportunity to remind people with flu symptoms that they should not turn up unannounced to a GP surgery, an out-of-hours centre or one of our A&E departments.
?This is because we need to ensure other patients waiting to see a doctor or nurse are not exposed to possible Influenza A (H1N1) infection.
?The risk to the general public from this virus remains low and the overwhelming majority of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms.
?If anyone does feel unwell and has any flu-like symptoms they should phone their own GP or NHS24 on 08454 24 24 24 and they will advise you what to do next.?
More than 7000 people across Scotland are estimated to have contracted swine flu over the last week, most of them being treated at home and experiencing relatively mild symptoms.
The Scottish Government, however, confirmed yesterday that a patient from Lanarkshire is in a critical condition after being transferred to a hospital in Leicester for specialist ECMO treatment, the same oxygen treatment given in a Swedish hospital to a pregnant patient from Scotland.
Glenfield Hospital in Leicester is the only UK hospital to offer the treatment, which involves circulating blood outside a patient?s body and adding oxygen.
When Ayrshire woman Sharon Pentleton became seriously ill with swine flu when she was pregnant, she was flown to Stockholm for treatment because the ECMO beds in Leicester were all full.
The total number of patients hospitalised across Scotland with laboratory confirmed swine flu last week was 14.
There have been nine deaths linked to influenza A (H1N1) since the start of the outbreak.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the latest figures show another increase in the number of people consulting their GP, an increase in the number of overall estimated cases and an increase in the proportion of samples testing positive for H1N1.
?The potential threat from H1N1 remains serious, even if it continues to be a relatively mild virus,? Ms Sturgeon said.
?Vaccination is the best defence we have against the H1N1 virus and Scotland is preparing very well for the vaccination programme.
In line with figures for the whole of Scotland, more people in Fife have been going to the doctor for flu-like illnesses.
?There has been an increase in the rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses, not necessarily H1N1, across Scotland from 53.3 per 100,000 last week to 62.1 per 100,000 this week,? a spokeswoman for NHS Fife said.
?In Fife, the rate has increased from 31 per 100,000 last week to 46 per 100,000 this week?still remaining below the national average.?
NHS Fife said it had ?robust contingency plans? in place to cope with a surge in swine flu cases.
?We continue to respond to our local circumstances and plan for developments, reviewing our preparations and liaising with partner agencies and the Scottish Government,? the spokeswoman added.
