BB FANS

Public fear mounts as swine flu cases soar

Millions of patients overwhelmed a new telephone and online service yesterday to obtain swine flu treatment without seeing a doctor as the number of cases doubled in a week.

The National Pandemic Flu Service, which offers callers or internet users a prescription code for antiviral drugs if they have symptoms, was experiencing “unprecedented demand”, with 9.3million hits every hour.

The website crashed within minutes of going live at 3pm but was later restored. By 5pm it was receiving the equivalent of 2,600 hits per second. The Government said that it was increasing capacity for the site.

TimesonLine

160 Britons held in quarantine abroad as children found to be 'super-spreaders' of the virus

The citizens are being held in China, Singapore, India and Egypt after developing the disease and are receiving consular assistance.

It comes as experts said children under the age of 14 have become 'super-spreaders' of the virus, leaving England battling a raging epidemic


DailyMail

Doctors warn of swine flu 'catastrophe' as EU enforces 48-hour working week

European Union rules which demand cuts to doctors' working hours should be suspended during the swine flu epidemic, medical experts have urged.
The European Working Time Directive comes into force this Saturday and will require all doctors to work no more than 48 hours a week.

Britain's top surgeon led calls for the move to be blocked today amid fears the reduction could seriously affect the UK's fight against swine flu.


DailyMail

British schoolgirl fights for life after contracting swine flu on holiday in Greece

Natasha Newman, 16, a pupil at Gordonstoun public school, is on a life-support machine after suffering lung damage and other complications.

The teenager was admitted to hospital on the island of Cephalonia, but after her condition deteriorated and she lost consciousness she was flown to the country's main children's hospital in Athens on Tuesday.


DailyMail

SWINE FLU HITS MED CRUISE SHIP CREW

Dozens of crew on a cruise ship have been confined to their cabins with suspected swine flu.

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas arrived in Villefranche-sur-Mer as part of a Mediterranean tour, and local officials allowed the ship's 3,600 passengers to visit the town before it left later for Marseille.

Around 60 crew have been told to stay in their cabins and another 70 are showing flu symptoms.

DailyExpress

Swine flu: how the numbers add up

The number of swine flu cases is rising rapidly and experts are warning in the worst-case scenario 30% - or one in three of the UK population - could become infected and up to 65,000 people could die this winter.

These sound like big, scary numbers, but what do they actually mean and how have they been calculated?

BBC

Swine flu panic grips Indian city

Panic-stricken people have queued up at hospitals in the western Indian city of Pune to be tested for swine flu.

More than 1,000 people have gathered outside the two government hospitals designated to look after swine flu cases in the city.

Chemist shops are reporting a shortage of face masks.

Pune reported India's first swine flu death earlier this week - a 14-year-old school girl tested positive for the H1N1 virus and died in hospital.

Her family has now filed a criminal complaint against the hospital with the police.

BBC

'Don't give Tamiflu to children'
By Jane Kirby, Press Association Independent

Swine flu mother speaks of loss

A mother has paid tribute to her 18-year-old daughter who hoped to become a doctor but died after being diagnosed with swine flu.

Madelynne Butcher, from Southampton, fell ill after returning from a holiday in Tenerife and was prescribed Tamiflu.

Miss Butcher was transferred from Southampton General Hospital to a specialist unit at a Leicester hospital but died last Thursday.

BBC

Swine flu: more than 400 cases of Tamiflu side effects

Telegraph

TV CASTLE’S TAMIFLU FURY AT MINISTER

TV presenter Andrew Castle revealed live on air yesterday that his daughter had nearly died after taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu.

The startling disclosure came as the GMTV host laid into Health Secretary Andy Burnham as he defended the policy of giving the anti-viral drug to children after research indicated that the side-effects could outweigh any benefits.

Mr Castle said his daughter Georgina, 16, had a “respiratory collapse” after being handed the drug without a proper diagnosis. He said: “I can tell you that my child almost died.”


Express

Swine flu jab link to killer nerve disease: Leaked letter reveals concern of neurologists over 25 deaths in America

A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.
The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Mail on Sunday, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins.

It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine.
GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe, and can be fatal.

The letter, sent to about 600 neurologists on July 29, is the first sign that there is concern at the highest levels that the vaccine itself could cause serious complications.


DailyMail

Swine flu blamed for blocked sewers

SWINE flu is being blamed by a water company for an increase in the numbers of blocked sewers and pumps.

Anglian Water said a rise in the problem was believed to be down to people using more hand wipes and baby wipes then flushing them down toilets.

The company has reported a significant increase in blocked sewers and pumps in the region.

Paul Gibbs, director of wastewater services at Anglian Water, said: “Wipes should not be flushed down toilets, despite what the packaging may say, as unlike toilet paper, wipes do not break up - they can accumulate in the drains. And, of course, this doesn't just cause problems for the public sewers - the pipes in your own home can become blocked, leading to the need for inconvenient and potentially costly work.

“NHS advice on swine flu, including keeping surfaces and hands clean, is of course very important - but if wipes are used, they should always be placed in a bin afterwards and not down the toilet or drains.”

EADT