Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.thelondonpaper.com/thelondonpaper/news/london-days-away-from-swine-flu-epidemic
London days away from swine flu epidemic
Number of swine flu cases in the UK doubles in two days - bringing total number of deaths in London to five and 14 in the UK
by: Kirsty Ross
9 July 2009
LONDON is just days away from a swine flu epidemic experts have warned, as the number of deaths in the UK doubled in just 48 hours, bringing total number in London to five.
Figures collated from doctors and NHS services in the capital indicate 180 cases of the flu per 100,000 people in the city.
In medical terms, when this figure hits 200 London will officially have an epidemic on its hands.
Actual cases of swine flu are so abundant that suspected cases are now no longer being sent for lab tests.
Across the rest of the country, the swine flu rate is only 51.9 cases per 100,000 people.
Find out how many people are at risk of dying from swine flu in your borough
Officials have now confirmed five deaths in London and 14 deaths in the UK. Britain now has the third highest number of confirmed cases in the world, behind Mexico and the US.
The latest cases are a 66-year-old man from Essex, who died at St Bartholomew's Hospital on 8 July, and a young child from south London who died at St Thomas' Hospital on 7 July.
Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson would not give details on where the five new cases were in the UK, but said all had also faced underlying health problems.
He said another 335 patients were in hospitals around England with swine flu ? and a further 43 were in critical care.
But Donaldson said the true number of people with swine flu was unknown because many stayed at home rather than contacting their GP.
He said: ?We do know something about the people seeking help from the NHS but there will be many other people who look after themselves, don't realise they have it and don't show up.?
He added latest data from 100 GP surgeries around England showed that about 27,000 people per week were being diagnosed by their GP as having a flu-like illness. Of these, an estimated 8,000 every week will have swine flu.
The West Midlands follow closely behind the capital, at 140 per 100,000 cases.
It comes a week after health secretary Andy Burnham warned that by the end of next month, some 100,000 people would come down with the bug every day.
He moved the country on to treatment mode, which means people with flu symptoms will be encouraged to quarantine themselves at home and get a friend to pick up anti-viral drugs for them.
Lab tests show that today there were 9,718 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK, just behind Mexico with 10,262 cases and the US with 33,902 confirmed cases.
TOTAL SWINE FLU DEATHS IN LONDON
- A 66-year-old man from Essex died at St Bartholomew's Hospital on 8 July
- A young child from south London died at St Thomas' Hospital on 7 July
- An 80-year-old man who had been receiving palliative care died in a north London hospital on 7 July
- Nine-year-old child from South London on 6 July
- A 19-year-old man from South London died at Lewisham Hospital on 3 July
London days away from swine flu epidemic
Number of swine flu cases in the UK doubles in two days - bringing total number of deaths in London to five and 14 in the UK
by: Kirsty Ross
9 July 2009
LONDON is just days away from a swine flu epidemic experts have warned, as the number of deaths in the UK doubled in just 48 hours, bringing total number in London to five.
Figures collated from doctors and NHS services in the capital indicate 180 cases of the flu per 100,000 people in the city.
In medical terms, when this figure hits 200 London will officially have an epidemic on its hands.
Actual cases of swine flu are so abundant that suspected cases are now no longer being sent for lab tests.
Across the rest of the country, the swine flu rate is only 51.9 cases per 100,000 people.
Find out how many people are at risk of dying from swine flu in your borough
Officials have now confirmed five deaths in London and 14 deaths in the UK. Britain now has the third highest number of confirmed cases in the world, behind Mexico and the US.
The latest cases are a 66-year-old man from Essex, who died at St Bartholomew's Hospital on 8 July, and a young child from south London who died at St Thomas' Hospital on 7 July.
Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson would not give details on where the five new cases were in the UK, but said all had also faced underlying health problems.
He said another 335 patients were in hospitals around England with swine flu ? and a further 43 were in critical care.
But Donaldson said the true number of people with swine flu was unknown because many stayed at home rather than contacting their GP.
He said: ?We do know something about the people seeking help from the NHS but there will be many other people who look after themselves, don't realise they have it and don't show up.?
He added latest data from 100 GP surgeries around England showed that about 27,000 people per week were being diagnosed by their GP as having a flu-like illness. Of these, an estimated 8,000 every week will have swine flu.
The West Midlands follow closely behind the capital, at 140 per 100,000 cases.
It comes a week after health secretary Andy Burnham warned that by the end of next month, some 100,000 people would come down with the bug every day.
He moved the country on to treatment mode, which means people with flu symptoms will be encouraged to quarantine themselves at home and get a friend to pick up anti-viral drugs for them.
Lab tests show that today there were 9,718 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK, just behind Mexico with 10,262 cases and the US with 33,902 confirmed cases.
TOTAL SWINE FLU DEATHS IN LONDON
- A 66-year-old man from Essex died at St Bartholomew's Hospital on 8 July
- A young child from south London died at St Thomas' Hospital on 7 July
- An 80-year-old man who had been receiving palliative care died in a north London hospital on 7 July
- Nine-year-old child from South London on 6 July
- A 19-year-old man from South London died at Lewisham Hospital on 3 July