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Swine flu: last seven days sees record number of UK deaths
Thirty-one deaths is highest weekly number since outbreak began, although number of infections falls for third week in a row.
More people have died from swine flu in the past seven days than in any week since the outbreak began, the Department of Health revealed today.
Thirty-one deaths associated with the H1N1 virus were recorded bringing the total number of fatalities since May to 245. The estimate for new cases in England fell slightly again to 46,000 ? the third successive week it has declined.
The unusual pattern of fewer infections but more deaths suggests a second major peak in cases is unlikely to be imminent. Around a million patients ? and more health workers ? have already been vaccinated against the virus.
The government chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said that health officials were now reviewing how long they would continue to operate the telephone and online National Flu Pandemic Service, which dispenses anti-viral drugs.
"It's unlikely we would take it out of commission this side of Christmas," he said. "We will have to look hard at in January if the numbers continue to drop off.
"We still can't be sure there will not be some change in the virus before the winter is out. We can't be sure normal seasonal flu won't come back in. The NHS has been working very hard in some parts of the country. Intensive care units have been under a lot of pressure. So we are pleased that all the planning was done."
There were no figures showing how many health workers had received the vaccine but samples from several health authorities, according to Ian Dalton, the head of the government's Flu Resilience programme, suggested the take-up had been significant.
A total of 14m doses of GSK's vaccine Pandemrix have been delivered to health authorities in the UK, with another 2.3m doses of Baxter's Celvapan also delivered.
The number of patients being treated in hospital fell slightly this week to 753, down from 783 in the previous week. The breakdown of deaths were 163 in England, 46 in Scotland, 23 in Wales and 13 in Northern Ireland.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/26/swine-flu-deaths
Thirty-one deaths is highest weekly number since outbreak began, although number of infections falls for third week in a row.
More people have died from swine flu in the past seven days than in any week since the outbreak began, the Department of Health revealed today.
Thirty-one deaths associated with the H1N1 virus were recorded bringing the total number of fatalities since May to 245. The estimate for new cases in England fell slightly again to 46,000 ? the third successive week it has declined.
The unusual pattern of fewer infections but more deaths suggests a second major peak in cases is unlikely to be imminent. Around a million patients ? and more health workers ? have already been vaccinated against the virus.
The government chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said that health officials were now reviewing how long they would continue to operate the telephone and online National Flu Pandemic Service, which dispenses anti-viral drugs.
"It's unlikely we would take it out of commission this side of Christmas," he said. "We will have to look hard at in January if the numbers continue to drop off.
"We still can't be sure there will not be some change in the virus before the winter is out. We can't be sure normal seasonal flu won't come back in. The NHS has been working very hard in some parts of the country. Intensive care units have been under a lot of pressure. So we are pleased that all the planning was done."
There were no figures showing how many health workers had received the vaccine but samples from several health authorities, according to Ian Dalton, the head of the government's Flu Resilience programme, suggested the take-up had been significant.
A total of 14m doses of GSK's vaccine Pandemrix have been delivered to health authorities in the UK, with another 2.3m doses of Baxter's Celvapan also delivered.
The number of patients being treated in hospital fell slightly this week to 753, down from 783 in the previous week. The breakdown of deaths were 163 in England, 46 in Scotland, 23 in Wales and 13 in Northern Ireland.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/26/swine-flu-deaths