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New cases of swine flu jump 50%, with children under four the hardest hit
By Jenny Hope
Last updated at 9:19 AM on 30th October 2009
The number of new cases of swine flu rose by almost 50 per cent last week.
And the total of seriously ill victims needing intensive care reached its highest level yet.
Latest figures show an estimated 78,000 new cases of swine flu, up from 53,000 in the week before.
The first supplies of the swine flu vaccine were sent out to GPs this week
An estimated 521,000 people have caught swine flu in England alone since the pandemic began, according to the Health Protection Agency.
The death toll for England is now 97 while for the UK as a whole it is 137.
Currently, there are 751 people in hospital in England suffering from the virus, of whom 157 are in intensive care. Nine of those in critical care were on life support systems.
The Government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said yesterday that there had been a 'very substantial increase' in the number of patients needing intensive treatment.
He said a pattern was emerging that had an 'eerie similarity to what happened in Australia in their flu season' when a quarter of people who were hospitalised ended up in intensive care.
Sir Liam added: 'We are seeing a level of activity in the community which has not yet reached anywhere near the levels we were seeing in July.
'But we are seeing a level of serious illness in hospitals which has easily surpassed the level we saw in July.'
At the peak of the first wave of swine flu in July there were 100,000 cases a week England.
On some days last week 20 per cent of paediatric critical care beds were occupied by children with swine flu.
Sir Liam said the largest increase in new cases last week was among children aged four and under, followed by those aged five to 14.
Experts say children will be hardest hit by the second surge of the pandemic, with nearly one in three likely to catch it this winter.
The first supplies of vaccine were sent out to GP surgeries this week from the five million doses delivered so far by GlaxoSmithKline.
A further one million made by Baxter are going to trusts for use by patients with egg allergies.
But Ian Dalton, national director for flu resilience, admitted that most family doctors are still waiting for their first batch of 500 doses.
He hoped initial supplies would be administered in the next three to four weeks, with remainder of the 11million high-risk patients being protected by mid-December.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1223874/New-cases-swine-flu-jump-50-amid-increase-intensive-care-treatment.html#ixzz0VR32VbFr
By Jenny Hope
Last updated at 9:19 AM on 30th October 2009
The number of new cases of swine flu rose by almost 50 per cent last week.
And the total of seriously ill victims needing intensive care reached its highest level yet.
Latest figures show an estimated 78,000 new cases of swine flu, up from 53,000 in the week before.
An estimated 521,000 people have caught swine flu in England alone since the pandemic began, according to the Health Protection Agency.
The death toll for England is now 97 while for the UK as a whole it is 137.
Currently, there are 751 people in hospital in England suffering from the virus, of whom 157 are in intensive care. Nine of those in critical care were on life support systems.
The Government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said yesterday that there had been a 'very substantial increase' in the number of patients needing intensive treatment.
He said a pattern was emerging that had an 'eerie similarity to what happened in Australia in their flu season' when a quarter of people who were hospitalised ended up in intensive care.
Sir Liam added: 'We are seeing a level of activity in the community which has not yet reached anywhere near the levels we were seeing in July.
'But we are seeing a level of serious illness in hospitals which has easily surpassed the level we saw in July.'
At the peak of the first wave of swine flu in July there were 100,000 cases a week England.
On some days last week 20 per cent of paediatric critical care beds were occupied by children with swine flu.
Sir Liam said the largest increase in new cases last week was among children aged four and under, followed by those aged five to 14.
Experts say children will be hardest hit by the second surge of the pandemic, with nearly one in three likely to catch it this winter.
The first supplies of vaccine were sent out to GP surgeries this week from the five million doses delivered so far by GlaxoSmithKline.
A further one million made by Baxter are going to trusts for use by patients with egg allergies.
But Ian Dalton, national director for flu resilience, admitted that most family doctors are still waiting for their first batch of 500 doses.
He hoped initial supplies would be administered in the next three to four weeks, with remainder of the 11million high-risk patients being protected by mid-December.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1223874/New-cases-swine-flu-jump-50-amid-increase-intensive-care-treatment.html#ixzz0VR32VbFr