United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 7447 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 1996 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 1996 cases confirmed

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/hea...6.0.scottish_swine_flu_total_rises_to_549.php

Another 12 people in Scotland were diagnosed with swine flu yesterday, bringing the UK total to almost 2000 since the start of the outbreak.

Some 549 patients north of the border have tested positive for influenza A (H1N1) and there are two probable cases and 518 possible cases being investigated.

Two-thirds of the confirmed cases are in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area and Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said that the number was expected to rise as the health board resumes laboratory testing, rather than clinical diagnosis, for all suspected cases.
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Ms Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is encouraging that in areas outwith Glasgow numbers of confirmed cases remain relatively low. However, we must not get complacent and Scotland remains amongst the best- prepared countries in the world to deal with pandemic flu."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has opened nine dedicated swabbing centres to test patients who have been referred by GPs and it is hoped the move will help build an accurate picture of the way in which the virus is spreading.

Clusters have emerged so far in Paisley and the south of Glasgow and pupils at several schools in the two areas have tested positive for the virus, although the government said yesterday that no new school closures had been reported.

Some 224 cases of swine flu were confirmed south of the border yesterday, bringing the UK toll to 1996.

Eight students at Bristol University, all of whom are "close contacts" of another student who tested positive on Thursday, became confirmed cases. The university said all the affected students were in isolation in private accommodation in the city and were receiving antiviral drugs.

Almost 40,000 cases, including 167 deaths, have been reported worldwide and yesterday.

Meanwhile, health officials in Australia said a man who had been diagnosed with H1N1 had died, although not from swine flu.

The 26-year-old man was reported to have suffered from several major illnesses.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2244 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2244 cases confirmed

UK swine flu cases soar to 2,244

4:30pm Saturday 20th June 2009
? Press Association 2009 ?
Discuss this...

The number of UK cases of swine flu has broken through the 2,000 mark with 247 people confirmed with the virus, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

A total of 2,244 people have now been diagnosed with the virus since April.

The latest cases were all in England, the HPA said.

The bulk of the new cases were in the West Midlands, where 112 people were confirmed with the virus.

There were 77 new cases in London, 18 in the South East, 17 in the South West, eight in the North West, seven in the east Midlands, five in Yorkshire and Humber, two in the Eastern region and one in the North East.

The new cases bring the total in England to 1,678 since April.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2773 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2773 cases confirmed

• Published: Monday, 22 June 2009

There have now been more than 2,500 cases of swine flu in the UK. The sections below provide health and travel advice and more information on what swine flu is and what the government is doing to help combat it.
Around the UK

Regional information

For people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, some services and telephone helpline numbers are different from those in England. See the link below.

• Swine flu - information around the UK

Information for employers

• Business Link Opens new window

England information

See the link below for information in your area.
Some local authorities in England are providing information for local residents.

• Current emergency situations - find your local authority Opens new window

Latest news

WHO update
Monday 22 June:

• 52,160 cases worldwide
• 231 deaths

A further 204 people in England were confirmed with swine flu on Monday.
Together with the 60 cases confirmed in Scotland on Sunday, there have now been 2,773 cases of swine flu confirmed in the UK.

WHO has now raised the level of the swine flu alert from Phase 5 to Phase 6 ? its highest alert level. By raising the alert level to phase 6 the WHO is indicating that "a global pandemic is under way".
Dr Margaret Chan, WHO's Director-General, also said that "pregnant women are at increased risk of complications". Follow the 'Pregnancy and swine flu' link below for more information.


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Swineflu/DG_177831

 

[Chuck]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2773 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 2773 cases confirmed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8115329.stm


UK swine flu cases approach 3,000

Another 149 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the UK, bringing the total to more than 2,900.

More than 100 patients under observation in England were confirmed with the virus on Tuesday, along with another 40 cases in Scotland.

The number of confirmed cases in the UK is 2,944, including 686 in Scotland.

The Health Protection Agency said a baby from County Durham has tested positive for swine flu at a hospital on Teesside and is in a stable condition.

About 30,000 cases of swine flu have so far been detected in 74 countries, and more than 140 people have died worldwide since March.

First fatality

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."

The swine flu virus claimed its first victim in the UK last week, after a female patient died in a Scottish hospital.

The victim was a woman aged 38 who gave birth prematurely while being treated at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

The baby with swine flu is aged less than a year and has been admitted to North Tees Hospital, in Stockton, and given anti-viral drugs.

As a precautionary measure, family members and staff who were in close contact with the baby have also been offered the Tamiflu drug.

The baby's condition was said to be stable.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 3307 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 3307 cases confirmed

UK swine flu cases rise by 362
Swine flu test
The government hopes to provide anti-flu drugs for 80% of the population

A further 362 patients in the UK have been diagnosed with swine flu, bringing the total to 3,307, the Health Protection Agency has said.

The West Midlands remains the worst affected area in the UK, with a further 89 cases on Wednesday and an overall total of 1,243 cases.

Some hospitals in that region have created triage areas to cope with complaints of symptoms.

Of the UK cases, a further 53 were confirmed in Scotland.

In England, there were 25 new cases in the South East, 21 in the east of England, seven in the East Midlands, four in both the North West and Yorkshire and Humber, three in the South West, as well as 153 cases in London.

Meanwhile, the National Public Health Service for Wales reported three new cases.

The total number of cases in Scotland has risen to 739, with 47 of the 53 new cases occurring in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Four people are being treated in hospital.

The West Midlands NHS said it had contingency plans in place in anticipation of staff being absent from work with swine flu.

Meanwhile, Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield have set up triage areas.

In Northern Ireland, one case of swine flu has been confirmed by the Department of Health, bringing the total there to 19.

The Department of Health said that latest case was a man who had recently returned from London.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8117470.stm

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - Over 4300 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - Over 4300 cases confirmed

UK swine flu tally tops 4,300

By Stephanie Kennedy in London

Posted 4 hours 18 minutes ago

The number of swine flu cases in the UK has jumped by nearly 20 per cent in one day, bringing the total to more than 4,300.

New statistics show that 535 new cases were confirmed in England in a single day yesterday, while Scotland registered another 72 cases.

Authorities warn that the UK could soon expect to see a surge of new cases, with tens of thousands predicted to contract swine flu each week within three months.

Officials have now abandoned attempts to contain the spread of the virus, instead opting for a policy of managing the outbreak.

At this stage, anti-viral drugs are only being given to those people showing signs of the virus and the practice of waiting for laboratory confirmation of new cases has been scrapped in favour of clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/27/2610192.htm?section=world

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 3307 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 3307 cases confirmed

Swine flu cases soar in England
Swine flu test
The government hopes to provide anti-flu drugs for 80% of the population

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in England has jumped by nearly 20% in a single day, latest figures show.

The Health Protection Agency statistics show that 535 new cases were confirmed on Friday, bringing the total to 3,364.

Scotland registered another 72 cases on Friday, an 8.5% rise, bringing the total to 922, and a 25th case was confirmed in Northern Ireland.

With 12 cases confirmed in Wales, the total number of confirmed UK cases now stands at 4,323.

Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, warned on Thursday that the UK could soon expect to see a surge of new cases.

He predicted tens of thousands of cases of swine flu could be emerging each week by the autumn.

The West Midlands remains the most badly affected area of England, with 158 new cases confirmed on Friday, bringing the total to 1,516.

Some hospitals in that region have created triage areas to cope with complaints of symptoms.

London is the other swine flu "hotspot" in England, recording 225 new cases on Friday, taking the total to 985.

Change of policy

Officials in both areas announced on Thursday they had abandoned attempts to contain spread of the virus, instead opting for a policy of managing the outbreak.

The containment policy 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.

At this stage, anti-viral drugs are only given to those people showing symptoms, and tracing of contacts is abandoned.

The practice of waiting for laboratory confirmation of new cases is also scrapped in favour of clinical diagnosis based on symptoms.

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."

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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8121292.stm

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/ferguswalsh/
UK cases double in a week; US cases top 1m

Fergus Walsh | 20:11 UK time, Friday, 26 June 2009


The sun has been shining, the temperature rising, and it really does feels like summer. So it's not the traditional time one would expect a flu virus to flourish.

UV light cooks the viral goose pretty quickly, and people are outside more, rather than being huddled together swapping germs (let's not spoil this theory by mentioning air conditioning or public transport).

But the H1N1 swine flu virus is not like seasonal flu.

It's sufficiently novel and contagious that it is continuing to spread despite the warmer weather. Let's look at what's happening in the UK and USA.

The number of cases of swine flu in the UK has doubled in a week. Laboratory confirmed cases stand at 4,322. England saw its biggest daily increase today with 535 new cases, most of them coming because of a surge in London and the west Midlands.

Both areas now have more cases than the whole of Scotland, where the virus continues to flourish in the Glasgow area.

With the virus now very firmly established in London, it's likely that further big increases will follow. And remember that many cases are going unreported.

Does that mean a peak in cases - a full-blown national epidemic - will come earlier than expected, perhaps in late August or September? Possibly, but the expectation is that once the school holidays begin, there could be a pause with a peak coming from autumn onwards.

Then we could see tens of thousands of cases a week and every part of the UK will be affected. At present, in Wales, north-east and north-west England, there's still hardly any flu at all, so the virus is still not fully embedded here.

Now to the United States. The CDC in Atlanta has given another of its very helpful briefings to journalists.

Dr Anne Schuchat set out the situation there: 27,717 laboratory-defined cases with more than 3000 hospitalisations and 127 fatalities.

"This virus is not going away," she said, "and the reported cases are the tip of the iceberg. We are estimating there have been at least one million cases in the United States - not perfectly accurate but a ball-park figure."

That estimate is based on some telephone polls asking people whether they'd had flu-like symptoms in the past three weeks (not the most accurate way of estimating illness) and some community surveys which suggested 6% of people in hot-spot regions may have had the virus.

While not terribly accurate, the CDC appears confident that at least one million Americans have been infected.

If so, that is very reassuring news because it means the fatality rate is really very low. North America is about a month or so ahead of the UK with its outbreak so what happens there is a good guide to what may happen here.

So who is getting H1N1 swine flu in the US? Dr Schuchat said the virus was affecting mainly younger people rather than the elderly and made these points:

(1) nearly 80% of those hospitalised have been under 50;
(2) average age for hospitalisation is 19;
(3) average age for those who've died is higher, at 37;
(4) about 75% of those who have died have had underlying health conditions ;
(5) there have been very few cases in people over 65, so they are very unlikely to be infected - but when they do get it, elderly people have a higher risk of complications and death.

So how mild is mild and what sort of symptoms do people have? Dr Schuchat said that most had a fever and respiratory symptoms, a cough, a cold, with some having diarrhoea. People may be miserable in bed for a few days, but the illness clears up on its own.

The US, unlike the UK, has restricted antivirals to those at most risk of complications, so comparatively few doses of Tamiflu have been handed out.

The CDC can't say yet how many people are asymptomatic - that is, the number of people that have such mild illness they don't even realise they've had swine flu - but with a million plus Americans thought to have had swine flu, it must be a pretty sizeable number.

A minority can have a much tougher time, according to Dr Schuchat:

"It's important for everyone to be aware of the virus, and especially for those with underlying health conditions, asthma, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and pregnant women: these people need to be especially concerned if they develop a fever and respiratory illness."

Some mention has been made of obesity being a risk factor.

Dr Schuhat said that those who were obese, and especially the morbidly obese (those with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, above 40) often have chronic lung disease, and that's why they were at risk of complications. Being obese on its own does not seem to be a risk factor.

To sum up: swine flu is here to stay. For the vast majority it is nothing to worry about. For a small minority, it can cause serious illness. It should neither be dismissed out of hand nor should it be a reason for panic.

Scientists must continue to monitor the virus to see whether it mutates or becomes more virulent or becomes resistant to antivirals; thankfully, there's no sign of those at present.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/110292/Swine-flu-claims-a-new-victim-every-2-minutes
SWINE FLU CLAIMS A NEW VICTIM EVERY 2 MINUTES
Story Image


ONE EVERY TWO MINUTES: Swine flu keeps claiming victims

Saturday June 27,2009
By Natalie Clark

ONE case of swine flu was confirmed every two minutes in Britain yesterday, taking the overall total to 4,323.

More than 600 new victims include 535 in England, 72 in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and three in Wales, according to latest figures.

Health officials believe that the large rise in cases is due to children with the virus who are not washing their hands thoroughly or covering their mouths when they sneeze, allowing the infection to spread easily.

Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson has even warned there could be ?tens of thousands of cases? of swine flu each week by the autumn because the virus is more likely to thrive in the colder months. The West Midlands now has a total of 1,516 cases ? more than a third of all cases in the UK.

London has 985 cases, more than a fifth of the British total.

A Department of Health official 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.?

 

[HenryN]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 4322 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

HPA's last report was Friday. They have stooped their daily reports, which previously included Saturday and Sunday.

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 6900+ cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 6900+ cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

Alert: Important information about swine flu

There are more than 6,900 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK, and three people have died. Read the latest official advice and find out about the simple steps you can take to help protect yourself and others.

Find out now what you should do
http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

 

[kiwibird]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 6984 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 6984 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

How many cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the UK?

There have now been 6,984 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK; 5,704 in England, 1,217 in Scotland, 33 in Northern Ireland, and 30 in Wales. Although three people have died in the UK the vast majority of those infected have not required hospital treatment, and have stayed at home to recover.

In addition to these confirmed cases, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating many more suspected cases. The numbers will fluctuate daily as suspected cases are either confirmed or cleared.


Some newspapers have said that GPs might strike. Is this really true?

No, these claims are untrue. A spokesman for the British Medical Association has refuted these newspaper reports, saying: "GPs are not considering and have never considered strike action over this issue, and the BMA would not support such action. Media reports claiming this to be the case are wholly inaccurate.

?Indeed the evidence so far is that GPs in areas where there have been outbreaks have pulled out all the stops for their patients and I have complete faith that this will continue to be the case."
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/04April/Pages/Swineflulatest.aspx

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: United Kingdom - A/H1N1 - 7447 cases confirmed - new victim every 2 minutes

July 2, 2009

Britain faces 100,000 swine flu cases a day

(HO/Reuters)

Cases of the H1N1 virus are doubling each week

David Rose

More than 100,000 swine flu cases could be diagnosed every day by the end of next month, the Health Secretary has warned.

Britain has moved past the stage of containing the swine flu outbreak and into the ?treatment phase?, Andy Burnham told the House of Commons.

Mr Burnham stressed that most people developed only mild illness but anyone with flu-like symptoms will now be advised to stay at home and telephone their GP for advice.

Mr Burnham said that cases of the H1N1 virus are doubling each week in Britain and could reach six figures by the end of August, if current trends continue.

Doctors have previously warned that ?several million? people could become ill as the flu season returns in the autumn and winter.

?We have reached the next stage in management of the disease,? Mr Burnham said.

?The national focus will be on treating the increasing numbers affected by swine flu.

?We will move to this treatment phase across the UK with immediate effect.?

The latest figures show that there are now 7,447 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK, with most cases being recorded in the West Midlands, London and Scotland.

So far only three people, all with pre-existing health conditions, have died after testing positive for the H1N1 flu strain which has caused a global pandemic.

London and the West Midlands have already had sufficiently high numbers to move towards a policy of outbreak management. Under the strategy people are clinically diagnosed with swine flu rather than being tested. Schools are also kept open if pupils or staff fall ill.

Mr Burnham added that the 100,000 figure was ?only a projection?, but last week saw a ?considerable rise? in swine flu cases.

?There are now on average several hundred new cases every day,? Mr Burnham said.

?Our efforts during the containment phase have given us precious time to learn more about the virus.

?We have always known it would be impossible to contain the virus indefinitely and at some point we would need to move away from containment to treatment.?

He added: ?We have now signed contracts to secure enough vaccine for the whole population.?

The first will become available next month, with 60 million doses available by the end of the year.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6623554.ece