Andy Burnham, the health secretary for England, has just addressed ministers saying that the UK has officially moved from a phase of containment to one of treatment and projects that 100,000 new cases per day could ensue. The strategy now is for care to be given at home and for administration of anti-viral drugs where necessary without the requirement for clinical testing. This next phase has been predicted since the pandemic was declared and shows how quickly the virus can spread. (more…)

In an article published in the Mail Online on the 30th June, it has been reported that the current swine flu pandemic could be a consequence of an accidental leak from a laboratory in 1977, suggesting that a re-emergence of a 1950 strain of the H1N1 virus may have been released as a worker became infected with the virus in a  laboratory and then transmitted it to family and friends. Professor John Oxford of the Royal London Hospital has stated that the accidental release of the H1N1 virus is a ‘plausible theory’. (more…)

As reported in the Telegraph yesterday by Simon Johnson, swine flu has claimed its second British victim over the weekend. A 73 year old pensioner died in hospital in Paisley, Scotland after fifteen days in intensive care. Having serious underlying health problems he was particulalry vulnerable to the effects of the virus and it has been emphasised that for the majority of the population the current strain does not pose any more threat than that of a seasonal flu virus. (more…)

According to an article on Sky News this morning a fresh wave of swine flu cases has led to NHS Direct being swamped with calls and Accident and Emergency departments are finding it difficult to cope with an increased influx of suspected sufferers. (more…)

Reported in the Guardian online on the 21st June, a couple snubbed their swine flu symptoms to get married at a synagogue in Chicago. To protect friends and family the couple kept a distance of ten feet between themselves and others, and also wore masks and surgical gloves. (more…)

The Mail Online reported on the 16th June that the swine flu pandemic has hit Topshop’s flagship store in Oxford Street, London. Staff at the store have been told to go to their GP’s immediately should they begin to show any flu-like symptoms, following the diagnosis of one of their workers. (more…)

According to Fergus Walsh on the BBC news site health section today, swine flu is no longer being clinically tested for in Birmingham, and doctors are making physical examination diagnoses in response to visible symptoms. The West Midlands has been the hardest hit region in the UK with over half of reported cases coming from the area. Having just returned from the Emergency Planning Society’s annual conference in Coventry it was rather apt to be discussing pandemic planning at the centre of the UK’s most affected region. (more…)

If you’ve listened to the news today you will have heard that swine flu has claimed its first victim in the UK. A 38 year old woman who recently gave birth prematurely and who had underlying health problems, has died of swine flu. On the BBC news website today professor John Oxford has played down the severity of the virus stating that, just like seasonal flu, this new virus will claim victims and particularly those with respiratory problems, but that we won’t be seeing many more cases until autumn this year when the conditions will be more favourable for the virus to spread. (more…)

The latest reports from the WHO confirm that we should be preparing for mass transmission of the swine flu virus this autumn. It could mean that schools close for up to two weeks to restrict infection. For all us working parents out there this could mean a logistical nightmare. However for those who have the ability to work from home, at least some of those lost office hours are recovered. (more…)

According to latest reports the World Health Organisation has raised the swine flu pandemic level to 6, officially declaring it a global flu pandemic. The first for forty years. Though in reality there may be no immediate changes to personal behaviour, what it does mean is that production of anti-viral vaccines will be increased and governments may consider restrictions on international travel, though nothing is certain at this point.  (more…)