UK: 607 confirmed fatalities due to influenza

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

Father-of-four is latest victim of swine flu as health chiefs confirm virus has caused 24 deaths
By Louise Eccles and Sophie Borland
Last updated at 4:52 PM on 23rd December 2010
Latest swine flu victim was 38-year-old father-of-four
27 flu deaths so far this winter - 24 were from swine flu

Anthony Jones, 38, is the latest victim of swine flu. The father-of-four was described as a loving family man by his wife
A father of four from Skelsmerdale in Lancashire is the latest victim of the H1N1 strain of flu.

Anthony Jones, 38, died at Southport Hospital after contracting the virus.

He had been taken to hospital after collapsing at his home on November 27.

...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...#ixzz18yaMmh1Q

[sharon sanders]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

hat tip Shiloh - transferred from FluTrackers.org

Scotland: Pregnant women warned as only one in five takes life-saving flu jab <hr style="color: rgb(209, 209, 225); background-color: rgb(209, 209, 225);" size="1"> Source: http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Pregnant...nly.6670607.jp

Pregnant women warned as only one in five takes life-saving flu jab
Published Date: 24 December 2010
By Katrine Bussey

Pregnant women are being urged to protect themselves from the flu virus as new figures showed five Scots were placed in intensive care last week suffering from swine flu.

Since the vaccination campaign began in October, only one in five pregnant women who are not in any other risk category for the virus have come forward for a flu jab.

But since the start of the flu season, 11 people in Scotland have needed intensive care after contracting the H1N1 strain - with two patients dying.

The number of GP consultations from people complaining of flu-like symptoms has now risen to 45.8 per 100,000 - up from 36.1 per 100,000 last week.

Of the 127 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu, a total of 83 have tested positive for H1N1...

[sharon sanders]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

hat tip Laidback Al - transferred from FluTrackers.org


United Kingdom: Flu death toll rises to 27 <hr style="color: rgb(209, 209, 225); background-color: rgb(209, 209, 225);" size="1"> It is significant that local Arabic language media outlets in Egypt are reporting on the H1N1 deaths in the United Kingdom.

machine translated.

Quote:
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset;"> Health officials said yesterday that the flu killed 27 people in Britain since the start of flu season in October (October) the past, and increasing the spread of HIV across the EU.

The latest data from the Health Protection Agency UK, according to''Reuters'', that 24 people were killed strain of influenza virus H 1, 1, known as swine flu that has spread an epidemic throughout the world in 2009, while met three others were killed strain of other influenza virus known as type b. And those who were killed 18 adults and nine children. . . . </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Arabic media report: http://www.aleqt.com/2010/12/24/article_482502.html

[NS1]

Brisbane and UK Reservoir Sharing

Are we cross-validating the fact that Brisbane, a potential donor into the UK severe wave, and all of Queensland are, at this moment, experiencing a 700% increase in case count for 2010 influenza over the December 2009 cases?

Is it possible that the colder weather in the UK is creating aberrant host-pathogen behaviour or inducing genetic variation in-vivo that creates a more severe outcome though the overall case count remains low in the UK? Would the warmer weather of the Southern Hemisphere perhaps allow a higher transmissibility with less severe outcomes from the same initial infectious dosage of the same viral particles?

Apparently, we may have been presented with the ideal experimental model to determine the effect of atmospheric measures against clinical outcomes and genetic acquisition (speed and quality) if we find that the UK and Australia are concurrently suffering under the same viral genetics reservoir.

The release of sequences with clinical metadata from the UK fatalities alongside sequences from December in Australia would prove useful in these evaluations.

[Giuseppe]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

Despite the great fanfare about UK situation, elsewhere in European Region the detection of severe acute respiratory illness is increasing.

See this excerpt from yesterday ECDC weekly influenza update (http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publica...e_Overview.pdf ):

(...)

Table 3: Cumulative number of SARI cases, weeks 40/2009 – 50/2010

[Country - Number of cases - Incidence of SARI cases per 100,000 population - Number of fatal cases reported - Incidence of fatal cases per 100,000 population - Estimated population covered]

• Belgium - 312 - ... - ... - ... - ...
• Romania - 63 - 0.98 - 1 - 0.02 - 6.413.821
• Slovakia - 2 - ... - ... - ... - ...
• Spain - 23 - ... - 2 - ... - ...
• Total - 400 - ... - 3 - ... - 6.413.821

(...)


Table 4: Number of SARI cases by age and gender, week 50/2010

[Age groups - Male - Female]

• Under 2 - 2 - ...
• 2-17 - 3 - ...
• 18-44 - 3 - 3
• 45-59 - ... - 2
• >=60 - 3 - ...
• Total - 11 - 5

Table 5: Number of SARI cases by causative pathogen, week 50/2010

[Virus type/subtype - Number of cases during current week - Cumulative number of cases since the start of the season]

• Influenza A - 7 - 22
  • A(H1)2009 - 5 - 15
  • A(subtyping not performed) - 2 - 6
  • A(H3) - ... - 1
  • A(H1)seasonal - ... - ...
  
  
• Influenza B - 1 - 2
• Unknown - 5 - 350
• Other* - 3 - 26
• Total - 16 - 400

* Other: Includes cases with RSV, parainfluenza virus 3, H.Influenzae, H. parainfluenzae and Str. Pneumoniae.

Note: A(H1)2009, A(H3) and A(H1) seasonal include both N-subtyped and non-N-subtyped viruses.


Table 6: Number of SARI cases by antiviral treatment, week 50/2010

[Antiviral treatment - Number of patients who received prophylaxis - Number of patients who received anti-viral treatment]

• Oseltamivir - 1 - 8
• Unknown - 7 - ...
• None - 8 - 8
• Total - 16 - 16

Table 7: Number of SARI cases by level of care and respiratory support, week 50/2010

[Respiratory support - ICU - Inpatient ward - Other - Unknown]

• No respiratory support necessary - ... - 2 - ... - ...
• Oxygen therapy - 2 - 2 - ... - ...
• Respiratory support given unknown - 4 - ... - 3 - 1
• Ventilator - 2 - ... - ... - ...

Table 8: Number of SARI cases by vaccination status, week 50/2010

[Vaccination Status - Number Of Cases - Percentage of cases]

• Not vaccinated - 10 - 62.5
• Seasonal vaccination - 1 - 6
• Unknown - 5 - 31.3
• TOTAL - 16 - ...

(...)

Note: Data are collected for asthma, cancer, diabetes, chronic heart disease, HIV/other immune deficiency, kidney-related conditions, liver-related conditions, chronic lung disease, neurocognitive disorder (including seizure), neuromuscular disorder, obesity (BMI between 30 and 40), morbid obesity (BMI above 40), pregnancy, other, underlying condition unknown, and for no underlying condition.


Table 9: Number of underlying conditions in SARI cases by age group, week 50/2010

[Underlying condition/risk factor - Infant below 2 years - 2-17 years - 18-44 years - 45-59 years - >=60 years]

• Asthma - ... - ... - 1 - ... - ...
• Diabetes - ... - ... - ... - ... - 1
• Chronic heart disease - ... - ... - ... - 1 - 1
• Chronic lung disease - ... - 1 - 1 - 1 - ...
• No underlying condition - 1 - 2 - ... - ... - ...
• Morbid obesity (BMI above 40) - ... - ... - 1 - ... - ...
• Pregnancy - ... - ... - 1 - ... - ...
• Underlying condition unknown - 1 - ... - 2 - ... - 1

Table 10: Additional clinical complications in SARI cases by age group, week 50/2010

[Additional clinical complications - Infant below 2 years - 2-17 years - 18-44 years - 45-59 years - >=60 years]

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome - 1 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 2
• Bronchiolitis - ... - ... - ... - 1 - ...
• None - ... - ... - ... - ... - 1
• Other (please specify separately) - ... - ... - 1 - ... - ...
• Pneumonia (secondary bacterial infection) - ... - ... - 3 - ... - ...
• Unknown - 1 - ... - 1 - ... - ...

(...)

In addition, the incidence of influenza-like illness is also increasing, especially in children and youngsters.

In Italy, we are reporting these figures, from the latest National Institute of Health update (http://www.iss.it/binary/iflu/cont/Italia2010_50.pdf in Italian):

(Week - No. of GPs reporting - Cases - Sample Size - Incidence x 1,000 inhab. - (0-4) / (5-14) / (15-64) / 65+)

2010-50 - 829 - 2226 - 1.084.453 - 2,05 / 447 - 5,97 / 575 - 3,87 / 1090 - 1,70 / 114 - 0,52

Although overall incidence is around 205 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, among children aged 0-4 year old, the value is 597 per 100,000, demonstrating a rapid spread of influenza-like illness in this population. To note, the low elderly incidence: only 52 per 100,000 cases.
-
------

[NS1]

Definition SARI

What is the definition of "severe acute respiratory illness" in regard to this report from the EU?

Is SARI simply a count of confirmed Influenza cases, of hospitalised ILI cases, of any hospitalised respiratory disease or is SARI a function based on presentation severity markers? Is SARI indicative of Intensive Care, Critical Care or ECMO requirement?

The SARI counts are certainly diverse with Belgium suffering at 13 times the rate for Spain, a country reported as having a somewhat severe wave at the moment? Are we looking at a category of measurement that is perhaps not rigourously defined or implemented with affinity to the definition?

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

More on case definitions and surveillance :

http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/surveillance/Pages/StrategiesPrinciples_CaseDefinitions.aspx

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:159:0046:0090:EN:PDF

The 2nd link shows a list; on that list a definition of Influenza and ARI.

In Belgium more lab confirmations because of a different policy?

Another example of a difference in policy: in the Netherlands the epidemic threshold is 51 per 100,000; in other countries the threshold could be 151 per 100,000 .

[tetano]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

NHS at the limit: Intensive care units almost full as swine flu takes its toll

Intensive care units across Britain are almost full as the NHS faces one of the worst flu outbreaks in a decade.

Some hospitals have only one or two life-support machines left and critically ill patients are being transferred by ambulance to other trusts.

Managers are drawing up emergency plans to transform operating theatres into makeshift intensive care departments to cope with the soaring demand.

Senior doctors report that they are seeing the highest number of flu cases in more than 20 years and expect the situation to worsen over the coming weeks.

Children?s intensive care units are under particular pressure and some of the largest departments in the country are full.

Hospitals including Great Ormond Street in London, Manchester Children?s, Bristol Children?s and Alder Hey in Liverpool have reached full capacity or have just one or two beds left.

The latest figures show that 302 people ? adults and children ? are in intensive care because of flu, taking up one in ten of all available beds.


...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1341315/NHS-limit-Intensive-care-units-flu-takes-toll.html

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

Blog of Fergus Walsh, medical journalist, BBC

Is swine flu a worry?

Thursday, 23 December 2010

A lot of people are asking is flu getting more serious? It comes after new figures showed 10 people have died from flu-related conditions in the UK in the past week, bringing the toll to 27 since October. Nine of those who died were children and nearly all the deaths have been from H1N1 swine flu.

To put the current death rates in context, 474 people died with H1N1 in the first year of the infection - up to April 2010. Since October this year there have been 27 deaths, so it is, sadly, what might be expected.

Read more:here.

Thanks to Mike Coston

[Shiloh]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 302 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

460 flu victims fighting for life as experts admit 24 deaths from swine strain may be only a fraction of the true number

By Sophie Borland
Last updated at 12:23 PM on 24th December 2010


There are now 460 people in intensive care with suspected flu - up 182 from last week, the Department of Health said today.

It comes as medical experts admit the 24 lives claimed by the swine strain could be a fraction of the true death toll.

The known victims so far include one pregnant woman and nine children.
Last night it emerged that at least one of those killed by swine flu had been vaccinated against the virus...

[CopitoSP]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 460 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

24 December 2010 Last updated at 12:38 GMT

Sharp rise in serious flu cases


By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News



There has been a 50&#37; rise in the past three days in the number of seriously ill people in hospital with flu, figures show.

Department of Health data from Thursday showed that 460 intensive care beds in England were occupied by flu patients, compared to 302 on Monday.

(...)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12075039

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 460 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

24 December 2010

Swine flu patient dies in Wythenshawe Hospital


A 42-year-old woman who was suffering from swine flu has died in hospital in south Manchester.

The woman was admitted to Wythenshawe Hospital with severe flu symptoms and died on Thursday.

A University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) NHS Trust spokeswoman said it was not known if the patient had underlying health conditions.

Nationally, 27 people with flu have died so far this winter, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said.

read more / BBC

[CopitoSP]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 30 Deaths and 460 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

Excess mortality (all causes) jumping above the upper limit.



HPA Influenza Surveillance graphs

[Tonka]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 31 Deaths and 460 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

http://frenchtribune.com/teneur/1026...er-h1n1-attack For more information.

Mother of 4 comes out of coma after H1N1 attack
Submitted by Nimisha Sachdev on Fri, 12/24/2010 - 05:16

It was a very emotional moment when Brave Fallon, 25 came out of coma. She wanted to first see her four children and as her first words said that she loved them all....

[Tonka]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 31 Deaths and 460 Patients in intensive care (27 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 23 2010) due to influenza

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2084671_swine_flu_hits_royal_berkshire_hospital

Swine flu hits Royal Berkshire Hospital
By Natalie Slater
December 24, 2010


Swine flu has hit Reading with a small number of patients being treated for the H1N1 virus in Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Bosses at the RBH are unwilling to say exactly how many people are in hospital or whether they are in intensive care but say it is less than a handful of patients...