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Pig flu tests on first Londoner
Sophie Goodchild and Mark Prigg29.04.09
A woman in her twenties who recently returned from Mexico was being treated for suspected swine flu in a London hospital this afternoon.
If she tests positive for the H1N1 strain which is behind fears of a global pandemic she will be the first confirmed case in the capital.
The woman walked into the A&E unit at the West Middlesex University hospital in
Isleworth in the early hours of today complaining of flu-like symptoms.
Doctors have carried out tests and the results are due tomorrow. A spokesman said: “We have informed the Health Protection Agency. The woman has been isolated within the hospital and is in a stable condition.”
Nine European countries have confirmed or suspected cases. The H1N1 strain has spread rapidly since it broke out three weeks ago but so far the only reported deaths have been in Mexico where it started.
In New York this afternoon Ernst & Young confirmed that a woman member of staff has been diagnosed with swine flu.
Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College, a member of a World Health Organisation taskforce, said the virus could infect up to 40 per cent of the UK population in the next six months if the outbreak becomes a pandemic.
Londoners worried they have swine flu were contacting GPs today as Boris Johnson held crisis meetings.
On Sunday 88 people called NHS Direct in England but yesterday that figure topped 1,300. Doctors have dealt with scores of people after a honeymoon couple were confirmed as the first British victims of the virus. Iain and Dawn Askham are in a hospital near Glasgow. Seven people are being tested in Wiltshire and tests are under way in Cardiff.
In London, GPs have been issued with a checklist for people who report fears of infection and have been told to order those they are most concerned about to go home. Health Protection Agency teams are on standby.
Health minister Lord Darzi admitted that a planned national flu helpline will not be up and running for another five months.
The Mayor and top officials have drawn up emergency plans to keep London running if a pandemic strikes. Key measures include:
● Operating trains on the Underground with a skeleton staff as well as bringing in the Army to drive buses.
● Police officers would be deployed to protect stores of anti-flu drugs which have been stockpiled.
● Key workers would be given priority for receiving anti-viral drugs.
● Setting up a special task force to run funeral services, burials and cremations, coroners, death registration and mortuary capacity.
The Mayor has also offered 100,000 City Hall-owned doses of the anti-viral Tamiflu to the Government.
The drugs are kept in a warehouse on the outskirts of London and were bought for £1 million by Ken Livingstone when he was Mayor. A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “He is offering this supply but wants assurances London will not be overlooked.
“He is tapped into the central plan and wants to ensure London businesses are kept moving. While there have so far been no reported cases of swine flu in London, the Mayor is keen to ensure the capital is properly prepared in the event of an outbreak.
“He is receiving regular briefings on the situation and is reassured that there are detailed, tried and tested plans in place and that the NHS and other key agencies are fully prepared to respond.”
Additional reporting: Justin Davenport and Katharine Barney
Reader views (23)
My friends husband thinks this is all a conspiracy to get the population down and resolve the credit crunch!... she thinks he's been watching too much 24!
- Jules, london
How long before Londoners are rounded up and placed in quarantine just for sneezing? The scare-mongering about Swine Flu, like Bird Flu before it, is deliberately calculated to usher in the totalitarian state, where people will blithely accept total control "for our own good". But don't worry - Baxter will make billions out of this, then forcibly inject us with mercury before we're shunted off to concentration camps - sorry, quarantine.
- Neil, London, London UK
Here in the US they've already had three deaths but are covering it up in an attempt to prevent panic. They are already setting up contained areas to put quarantined patients and those that have died from it.
- Rick Huffman, Saint Joseph, Michigan
Is that the best Boris and his 'Think Tank' can do?
'Police officers would be deployed to protect stores of anti-flu drugs which have been stockpiled' With riot shields no doubt.
I wonder what priorities the powers that be used in 1918, probably prioritised medical treatment and used the army and police to ferry the sick to hospitals.
Making sure there were temporary distribution centres for medicines and drugs.
Boris is burying the dead before an attempt to treat the sick is underway. Hope we don't have a real crisis Mr Mayor, something like the 'blitz' or even a heavy snowfall in winter, were was the skeleton staff and army then? probably in bed same as you.
- David T, London
And yet the Labour bashers think that reported cases of swine flu in about 30 different countries is spin, manufactured by our own government.
Well, I can say it isn't. I've listened to the broadcasting services of other affected countries, and I'm quite sure Labour had no hand in them broadcasting news about swine flu - particularly Iran and Russia.
Let's hope all the whingers expire in this flu outbreak, then the rest of us can have a quiet life.
- Jock, London
im in cancun at the moment its quiet at the moment but people are unsure whether to get out or stay until normal flight times. not much information at ground level . was relaxed that it was happeing in mexico city but the scottish honeymooners were in cancun so im wondering how they contracted Swine flu
- Mike, cancun
This is yet another ploy to take your mind off of the bad job our present government are doing.
Remember how we all panicked when bird flu was supposed to devastate the world last year. I wonder how much the drug companies can expect to make from this pandemic of global proportions
- Rory, LONDON Bow
Alan Preen, Texas, USA - There's not a mask to be seen on the streets of London and the only panic is in the minds of the over excited press.
- Pjw, UK
Maya, don't be so silly. Keyworkers are people like nurses and doctors - let's save the ones who...er.. save us.
- Kitty, London
Thank god it is only pig flu; with those pictures of Londoners walking about in masks; I though that G8 lot were rioting again.
- Mickyinlondon, london
i think we should be careful at the moment, but at the same time there is no need to overeact
- Alice Q, london uk
What will constitute a "key worker" if the worst case scenario happens.
The Royals,
MP's
The MET's TSG
The rich and famous,
Bankers
Simon Cowell, Tara P-T, Jonathon Woss, Ozzy osborne et al
Plus all their kids and families of course.
And the rest of us? we'll be left to take our chances.
Maybe we should let it rip, kill 40%-50% of the worlds population, it will solve over population, food shortages etc. It's natures pruning shears, happened before, it'll happen again.
- Kerry, Purley
They've just come up with a cure for this in the form of an oinkment. On a serious note - My friend says he has this mexican flu but I think he is telling porkies.
- Paul, London
Surely, everybody who has been to Mexico recently should be asked to attend a medical centre, whether they have symptoms or not. Once checked over, they can get on with their lives. There may be people who are carriers but are not ill. They could be given anti-viral drugs and kept under observation. All this shroud waving is doing more harm than good.
- Beatriz, London
So key workers will be prioritised for the anti viral drugs. Is this some kind of joke? Lets save the ones that make no money.. the rest of us be damned. It is a conspiracy to make sure public sector pensions are safeguarded by keeping them all alive!
- Maya, London
This could be the time we need our armed forces to assist both our national and local authorities in running the UK if the worst happens with the swine flu however our armed services have of course been badly over stretched for some time because of our Governments actions across the world.
I also help that the pharmaceutical companies will be prepared to work together to reduce the risk across the globe.
- Mike M, Bedford England
Pig flu - I didn't know pigs can fly. Innit serious.
- Freddie, London
Plenty of panic over nothing in my opinion. Remember the scare over over bird flu?
Viruses are always mutating. The chances are, the strain that is now being passed human to human is nowhere near as dangerous as the original that killed in Mexico. The lethal strain of bird flu was only likely to be picked up by living with infected fowl. How did the current scare start off in Mexico, small holding pig farmers, kids playing with the piglets?
I will certainly not be wearing anything as ridiculous on my head as the women in the above picture.
For a reality check I cycle every day and know that my greatest chance of dying soon would be the likelihood of being kiled in an accident. On average, 8 people die on our roads every day. That is 152 in 19 days and we never even have a memorial for those that die, never mind think about keeping off the roads or stopping all of the traffic.
- Harry H, London UK
Ridiculous.Come on,everyone's over reacting.If they had to pay for these checks I wonder how many would be so concerned?Pathetic.
- Steve, London
Load of cretinous, panicking, peasants. What happened to the good old stiff, upper lip?
- Alan Preen, McLean, Texas, USA.
Ok we may have pigs flu in the UK; we can all defend ourselves by using plastic bags on our heads; the only truble is; plastic bags are banned due to global warming fears.
- Mickyinlondon, london
Some up and coming fashion designer needs to sex up those masks ... look like big paper bags ...
- John, London
The Mayor's plans include "operating trains on the Underground with a skeleton staff". Aren't there rules against using dead people to run public transport?
- Thomas, London
