Six swine flu sufferers die in West Midlands
“If you have flu-like symptoms and you have long term health problems such as severe asthma or diabetes, chronic lung, a weakened immune system, kidney or heart disease, are pregnant, or have children under five or are a pensioner over 65, it is important that you talk to your doctor.
“In any illness of this kind, we would see a small number of people who are otherwise fit and healthy become overwhelmed with infection, which can lead to very serious illness and sometimes sadly death. We ask people to be vigilant and seek health advice if they are not feeling better after a few days.”
The Government’s National Flu Pandemic Service for England, made up of a dedicated website and call centres is able to quickly tell if a patient has swine flu.
It will be initially staffed by more than 1,500 call centre staff for 15 hours a day, but may become 24 hour if there is more demand.
While people answer a questionnaire to receive a diagnosis of swine flu by supplying name, address and date of birth either online or to a call centre member of staff before receiving a code.
This code can then be given to a “flu friend” who will collect the antiviral Tamiflu from a collection point on the patient’s behalf, using a form of identification from the patient.
More serious cases such as pregnant women, people with health conditions and very young children will still be referred to GPs. At least 5,000 people in the West Midlands are believed to have contracted the H1N1 virus and 150 courses of Tamiflu are being dispensed every day.
The estimated GP consultation rate for flu like illnesses has risen sharply in the West Midlands since early June and although the overall regional rate is 20.7 per 100,000 people, there have been rates of between 144 and 197 per 100,000 in hotspots of innercity Birmingham and Sandwell, in the Black Country.
Dr Shukla reported that this was comparable with consultation rates seen during winter flu epidemics, which range between 30 and 200 per 100,000.
