Post by pandora on Jun 15, 2009 0:03:08 GMT
BBC NEWS
First UK swine flu patient death
The swine flu virus has claimed its first victim in the UK, after a female patient died in a Scottish hospital.
The patient, who had underlying health problems, was one of 10 people being treated in the greater Glasgow area, said a Scottish government spokesman.
The death is the first outside the Americas, where more than 140 people have died since the pandemic began.
Swine flu has now infected almost 500 people in Scotland alone, out of 1,261 cases in the UK.
Thirty-five new cases in Scotland were confirmed on Sunday.
A statement issued by the Scottish Government said: "With regret, we can confirm that one of the patients who had been in hospital, and had been confirmed as suffering from the H1N1 virus, has died today.
"The patient had underlying health conditions."
The statement added that, at the family's request, no further details would be released about the patient, whose age and address remain unknown.
Together with 61 new cases of swine flu in England and one case in Northern Ireland confirmed on Sunday, a total of 1,261 people have now caught the virus in the UK.
Another 486 possible UK cases are being investigated.
Chances remote
Virologist Professor John Oxford said that despite the death, the public should not panic.
"I still think the chances of picking up the virus are remote. It is not going to get any worse during the summer."
Professor Oxford said he did not think the the public had become complacent and said the country was well prepared in terms of anti-viral drugs.
The UK government outlined measures it has taken to combat the outbreak earlier this week.
Ministers urged people not to alter their normal behaviour and follow hand hygiene guidelines.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/8099832.stm
Published: 2009/06/14 22:17:46 GMT
© BBC MMIX
First UK swine flu patient death
The swine flu virus has claimed its first victim in the UK, after a female patient died in a Scottish hospital.
The patient, who had underlying health problems, was one of 10 people being treated in the greater Glasgow area, said a Scottish government spokesman.
The death is the first outside the Americas, where more than 140 people have died since the pandemic began.
Swine flu has now infected almost 500 people in Scotland alone, out of 1,261 cases in the UK.
Thirty-five new cases in Scotland were confirmed on Sunday.
A statement issued by the Scottish Government said: "With regret, we can confirm that one of the patients who had been in hospital, and had been confirmed as suffering from the H1N1 virus, has died today.
"The patient had underlying health conditions."
The statement added that, at the family's request, no further details would be released about the patient, whose age and address remain unknown.
Together with 61 new cases of swine flu in England and one case in Northern Ireland confirmed on Sunday, a total of 1,261 people have now caught the virus in the UK.
Another 486 possible UK cases are being investigated.
Chances remote
Virologist Professor John Oxford said that despite the death, the public should not panic.
"I still think the chances of picking up the virus are remote. It is not going to get any worse during the summer."
Professor Oxford said he did not think the the public had become complacent and said the country was well prepared in terms of anti-viral drugs.
The UK government outlined measures it has taken to combat the outbreak earlier this week.
Ministers urged people not to alter their normal behaviour and follow hand hygiene guidelines.
Story from BBC NEWS:
news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/8099832.stm
Published: 2009/06/14 22:17:46 GMT
© BBC MMIX
