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British airports on alert over swine flu outbreak
Sophie Goodchild27.04.09
THE death toll from swine flu in Mexico reached 103 today as British airports were put on alert over fears of a global pandemic.
A total of 1,614 people have been diagnosed. British Government officials met for a crisis swine flu "summit".
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said the country was on "constant alert" as officials from across the Government discussed the situation under the Cobra system. Cobra meetings are held in response to an unprecedented national crisis.
The European Commission today called a summit meeting of health ministers.
Two Scottish tourists who had returned from Mexico with flu-like symptoms were being tested today.
There have been 20 confirmed cases in America, six in Canada and 10 reported in New Zealand as well as four in France, six in Spain and one in Israel.
All passengers flying back from Mexico, where the virus first struck, are being checked as they arrive at Heathrow and Gatwick. Passengers on one plane at Heathrow were held for 45 minutes yesterday while they were screened. They later emerged into the terminal wearing blue face masks to ward off the virus, which is spread by close contact with infected people and animals.
English teacher Alistair Dixon, 24, who has been in Mexico since September, said: "A lot of people over there are wearing masks. At the airport in Mexico City we had to fill out a form saying we felt okay, and when we got to Heathrow health inspectors boarded.
"They went through the plane asking people if they had any symptoms. A few people put their hands up, but they let us off the plane.
"I was coming home anyway, but among my friends there was a little bit of panic.
"I bought a mask, but a lot of people were given them on public transport."
This strain of influenza virus known as H1N1 could lead to as many as 120million deaths worldwide. Health experts said today that the full extent of the threat to the UK would be known in a couple of days.
Dr Maureen Baker, in charge of pandemic flu planning at the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "It would be extremely unrealistic to think there could be a flu pandemic and we wouldn't get it here in Britain."
swine flu passengers flying into london are screened for symptoms of killer virus
Reader views (15)
Thank you 888, and Nigel.
But I spoke in jest for the main part.
Mind you I agree with closing the Channel Tunnel; they should never have started working on it again after the Napoleonic wars; and to complete it was a bad mistake.
I am an old boy that loves the rain and the wild coastlines of England; although I can only afford a walk by the Regents Canal today due to a starvation pension rate from New Labour.
I have never wanted the sunshine of Spain or even the cheap booze; I am tea-total; totally.
If everyone was like me; we would not need any airports fags or booze at all; and you would all be starving as well.
I miss the Luftwaffe and the doodle bugs, and the bombed building full of lead pipes to sell; and big bonfires on November the 5th.
All you young ones have is holidays abroad, cheap booze, and even cheaper birds.
OK I can’t have the Sailing ship days back now; but luckily for me I can still boat on the children’s boating pond in Regents Park.
Airports have ruined the British way of life; Southend is dead; Brighton is gay; and Butlin’s to expensive on a State Pension.
Come back Cutty Sark; I miss you.
- Mickyinlondon, london
MickyinLondon - Quite apart from the economic fallout, closing airports would not be effective. Firstly, it's probably here already, we know it's in France and Spain. Secondly, it will be spread around the world by migrating birds in Autumn, and within Europe sooner. That's the really bad thing about the flu virus - it infects a wide range of warm-blooded species, not just human beings. Some of them, it won't make very ill, but they'll carry it. Whether it becomes a human plague is down to how infectious it is between humans. We'll know that far too soon for comfort.
Flu pandemics happened in the days of slow sailing ships. The full name, influenza, means "influence of stars". That was the guess folks back then made as to the cause, in the days before microbes and virii were known. Not a completely silly guess, either. They knew it was seasonal, but because of migrating birds, not stars.
- Nigel, London
I've no doubt that swine flu is a threat to health, but we must not allow Britain-hating Soviet Labour to blow it out of all proportion in order to distract attention away from their continuing programme of destroying what's left of this country.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster
"They went through the plane asking people if they had any symptoms. A few people put their hands up, but they let us off the plane." - Is this what Alan Johnson means by "constant alert" - ask people if they feel unwell, and when they say "yes" let them off the plane anyway. On this basis the Dept of Health is as "unfit for purpose" as the Home Office.
- Malcolm, London
Can somebody from the Government explain why we are still allowing flights from Mexico to land at our airports ? if it was the other way round and us that had the problem the first thing Mexico would do is to ban all Uk flights from its airports !
- Pete Ex Londoner, Hartlepool
I urge your readers to follow my lead and boycott chilli con carne and burritos until this epidemic has been quashed - you can't be too careful.
- Keith, Kings Cross, London, UK
Hey Neil of London, I like your way of thinking, but as I've worked for the Government (to my eternal shame) I can tell you that there is no way they could ever be that organised or keep anything secret for longer than about 5 minutes!
- D Woodstock, London
Yes our Brits could do with something else to cheer us up even more!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent
Swine flu is far from the first global pandemic scare - Pox and paranoia hit Renaissance Europe hard http://tinyurl.com/cek4be. There are also more recent cases of influenza pandemics. The example of 1957, when an outbreak was largely confined to Asia, shows this: www.historytoday.com/germwarfare
- Derry, London, UK
Paranoid much, Neil? It's not exactly news that viruses mutate. And Micky? You'd have to shut down Eurotunnel, Eurostar and all ports as well to prevent people coming in. That would also mean no incoming products and produce or outgoing goods, which I am sure would mean a lot of companies would go bust in a short period of time.
- 888, Kent
Hey, next time our government suggests a freebie trip anywhere, can we recommend Mexico City? I mean, most of them are already brain-dead so it shouldn't make any difference ......
- Marianne (Uk National And Tax-Payer), SW France
Just what a useless Government needs. While the population worries about a horrible death they're not thinking about a useless government.
- Paul, London
Mmm, Bacon flu!
- Ian, london
This is a genetically engineered virus designed to reduce the world population and to make millions for the vaccine manufacturers, prior to implemeting quarantine and martial law. Dissidents (those of us who know the government is lying) will be accused of being carriers so that no one objects when we're taken away. We are, as usual, being set up and manipulated.
- Neil, London, London UK
Close all airports; and stop the spread.
Oh for the days of slow Sailing Ships and vast oceans of space between nations.
- Mickyinlondon, london
