Morning:
13°c
Swine flu helplines are flooded with panicked callers
Benedict Moore-Bridger and Anna Davis14.07.09
Health chiefs today called for calm as patients overwhelmed NHS Direct with calls about swine flu.
More than 52,000 have called the helpline in the past seven days, leading to fears people are panicking after the deaths of the first apparently healthy victims.
Today Health Secretary Andy Burnham called for “perspective” following the death of six-year-old Chloe Buckley from West Drayton.
He told GMTV: “People do need to keep it in perspective — lots of children have already had swine flu and have made a very quick recovery.”
He added: “We have made very good plans in this country for this eventuality. We could not be in a better position.”
The health service have received a total of 190,000 calls since April, but a source said many of the callers are not ill.
The NHS Direct source said: "Every day for the last week more than half of all calls to NHS Direct have been in relation to swine flu, and that is a huge increase from the start. It is to do with the deaths. When you read something about someone dying people have more pressing questions.
"But the number of referrals to GPs have stayed pretty much the same, so it shows people are simply more worried rather than ill."
An NHS Direct spokesman said people are now being encouraged to use "other channels" to take the pressure off the helpline.
The increase comes after the deaths of three apparently healthy patients from swine flu.
Chloe Buckley, from West Drayton, died on Thursday. She is believed to be the first child in Britain without underlying health problems to be killed by the virus, while Dr Michael Day, 64, from Bedfordshire, was taken to hospital on Saturday and died the same day.
A patient from Essex who died last Friday was the first person in the UK without underlying health problems to die of swine flu.
But Dr Laurence Buckman, who represents GPs for the British Medical Association, said: "We are making sure that GPs can cope with numbers and see all the people they need to see, but GPs are used to coping with high numbers."
A spokesman for NHS London said it had not changed its procedures. He added: "The best thing you can do is stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and take over-the-counter flu remedies to help relieve the symptoms.
"But it is particularly important that you talk to your doctor if you think you have swine flu and are pregnant, very young, over 65, or have long-term conditions such as asthma or diabetes."
Experts have predicted half the UK population could contract swine flu this year and 150,000 could die - based on figures analysed by epidemiologists which suggest that the H1N1 virus kills about 0.5 per cent of humans who catch it.
Virologist Nigel Dimmock, emeritus professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at Warwick University, said millions would fall ill.
He said: "It would be reasonable to assume that half the population will get flu this year. If that's all swine flu, then that would be a hugely significant number of deaths."
Click below to see the head's letter to parents with a picture of Chloe
Reader views (22)
Timon,
Tamiflu doesn't cure flu at all. It slows it down, if a patient is suffering badly, giving his immune system more time to fight off the virus. If the drug is over-used, the virus will develop drug-resistance. That will render Tamiflu useless, and should a drug-resistant virus then mutate into a deadly form we'd have no defense at all.
So the government is doing the right thing. Hold Tamiflu in reserve against a future killer pandemic such as the one that happened in 1919. And use it to treat the few unlucky people who are hospitalized by a flu such as this one, which is for most healthy people simply a nuisance.
There are more cases here simply because more people travel between the UK and Mexico where it started. Unsurprisingly, the other countries with a lot of cases are Spain and the USA. But it's now present in every country around the world ("pandemic") and it is doubling every fortnight, everywhere. Other countries in Europe are not beating it. Their developing epidemics are a few weeks behind ours, that's all.
- Nigel, London
We believe we had the swine flu back in May. Lasted for about 2 wks with the usual flu symptons but without a very high temperature. Doctor came, offered no flu test, no Tamiflu, only the usual lots of liquid, not to mix with people, bla bla bla.
As there are not many flu viruses around in May, one wonders why tests were not carried out, why store but hand out no medications etc., We find it very unprofessional how the government and the health department has been dealing with the situation.
I was legging 2 days behind my wife's symptons, typical flu infection, and even 4 weeks later it was hard to walk a hundred of yards. Both of us are in our 50s, a generation which gets selective or no medication.
- David H, Newcastle
In this article there is an apostrophe in St Catherine's School, however in the picture of the front gate of the school there is not. What sort of education will a child receive at a school where the grammar is incorrect on the front gate?
Swine flu or no swine flu, British values are going down the drain.
- Mick Sheppard, Malaga, Spain
The Govt shouldn't berate the public for using its telephone services - just as they have been asked to... by the Govt.
Clearly they need to invest more in NHS Direct so people can get sensible advice for what is obviously very worrying - especially for parents of young children after the tragic recent death.
- Simon, London, N5
The governments past and present like to wait for a while. It is good training for the medical staff, military and emergency services. Plus it thins out the population thus saving millions on pensions, food and housing. The only winners will be the undertakers that are owned by America. Wait until it hits Africa millions will perish.
- Lee, middlesex
We should be taking swine flu seriously and the people who are not ae very silly and not thinking of adults and children who are on medication that supresses their immune system and are the most vunerable.
- Samantha, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
This country has fallen way behind in dealing with these real life crisis situations. Crash Gordon is busy talking about "saving the world" and looking foolish but in the mean time society and finance in this country has tanked.
- Steveo, London NW1
People are right to panic,the peasants are kept in ignorance,the potential for this virus to kill millions must not be underestimated should it mutate into something far more nasty,run for your lives folks.You have cried wolf once to often!
- Kev, London-UK
Three people without underlying health issues have died, out of over 20,000 diagnosed cases and probably several times that undiagnosed (people who just went to bed, got better, never saw a doctor). That's a death rate of (at worst) 1.5 in 10,000 and probably several times less. And in even the worst historical flu epidemics, only one in three actually caught the flu at all. If it's the same this time the mortality risk is further reduced by a factor of three or more.
For comparison the annual death rate from all causes for 20-year-olds is about 6 in 10,000 and for 50-year-olds, 30 in 10,000. Deaths from sudden heart attacks in 50s are 3 in 10,000.
So most of us can reduce our overall mortality risk by more than the flu risk, if we want to. Stop smoking, drink only in moderation, excercise a bit more, eat healthier food with less fat and salt. Alternatively just get on with enjoying life and accept that all these risks are too small to bother about.
A very few will die from swine flu (as for any other flu) and that's very sad. A few more will end up needing hospital treatment. The vast majority of us who catch swine flu will just go to bed for a few days and recover. I'm not looking forwards to catching this flu, but neither am I worried about it. It could be so very much worse.
- Nigel, London
I realise that,fortunately, the swine flu mortality rate is - so far - very low but nevertheless this is a disease which was entirely preventable.
The main question which journalists don't seem capable of asking this government is why have we had over 10,000 swine flu cases in Britain when other European countries have had barely a couple of hundred????
For God's sake journalists do your job properly and get the government to answer this straightforward question!!!
Also, why have we allowed this flu to spread when the government has stockpiles of Tamiflu which they refuse to release to the public?
What good are millions of doses of Tamiflu doing while they are in government warehouses?
Why wasn't Tamiflu given out immediately to anyone with ANY flu-like symptoms instead of waiting for samples to be analysed and swine flu confirmed - a process that took several days (thus allowing the disease to develop and spread) - before Tamiflu was issued?
Why do people feel that they have to buy dodgy supplies of Tamiflu on the internet instead of being able to simply walk into any chemist's and buy it over the counter?
Given that the government keeps boasting of having millions of doses of Tamiflu stockpiled why not simply send one dose to each family immediately so they can self-medicate as soon as they feel the first symptoms of flu so as to kill this didease dead?
Swine flu - brought to you by a government of swine.
- Timon, London
The percent figures will rise. The more people who have contracted SF increases the exposure to new victims this is the start not the finish comparing with car deaths is rather futile and ignorant. I personally think the hype is justified and more accurate news about exactly what the symptoms are would help.
- Gary, Brentwood
John Entwistle - the annual toll on the road is under 3,000 a year, making it nearer 8 a day. Sadly those include pedestrians who have had a few many and those acting under the influence of drugs.
I hope that in the clamour over swine flu, we don't forget about other education that can save lives.
Driver tiredness is a main cause of accidents. Artificially reducing speed limits on single carriageways will lead to longer journey times, driver fatigue and probably more accidents in overtaking.
- Jools, London
I wish the media, and the doctors who should know better, would stop OVERhyping swine flu.
So far there have been less than 20 deaths here; out of how many hundreds of thousands of people infected? So, not exactly 0.5% fatality rate, is it? (Confirmed swine flu cases according to lab results are under 10 000, but obviously many more are infected.)
They should simply shut up.
- Fred, London
60 people die every day in car accidents. Sure this is a worry and I feel incredibly sorry for those who have had a loss...but the media need to keep perspective here. As usual they are being irresponsible and causing a panic to sell papers.
- John Entwistle, Hertford
Jody, to answer your question, the figure on the potential number of deaths came from University of Warwick flu expert Nigel Dimmock.
He said: "The percentage of people killed who contract the virus is believed to be around 0.5%. If half the population catch swine flu then that could mean 30 million times that percentage as a number of deaths."
- Anna Davis, London
For perfectly healthy people to have died from Swine Flu, I think we should take this seriously. Yes it is only a few people so far but how would you feel if it was your daughter, mother, husband etc, it so easily could be.
The Government distributed a leaflet 'Important Information About Swine Flu' but I don't see much evidence of people having read it and following its instructions. I still see plenty of people sneezing without using a tissue. I see people sneezing into their hands and handling things afterwards. This is exactly how these things spread, but no one takes any notice of information given to help reduce the spread of this, and other airbourne illnesses. And anyone reading this, how often do you wash your hands throughout the day, as your hands are a major way to transfer the virus from person to person?
I think it is inevitable that Swine Flu will take a lot of lives because no one thinks it will happen to them, so why bother with good hygiene practice.
Take heed everyone, please don't think it always happens to other people because this time, if we don't slow the spread of this virus and adopt good hygiene practices, this illness will affect a huge number of people which WILL be YOUR friends and YOUR families.
- Monica Mckinnell, Walton on Thames, UK
I called the swine flu helpline and all I got was crackling.
- Colin Amyes, London SE3
Bird brain Burnham has everything under control!!
My pharmacist has confirmed that if I contract swine flu I need to telephone my doctor (I am unable to make telephoine calls) and if confirmed the doctor will send me to an NHS clinic 6 miles away (I do not have any form of transport).
MEANWHILE, I DROP DEAD.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
This stupid health and safety government has aroused peoples fears - other EU members have just got quietly on with it. Seasonal flu kills many many people. It's life!
- Never Eat Tuna Again, London
When are all these inoculations against swine flu going to happen?
I just wondered if we have to wait till it reaches plague level etc.
What does it matter if some victims had other health conditions?
Perhaps we will have to wait until MPs and Bankers start dying off; then we might get an over-night response to the health care and security of all the other punters below etc.
I can't wait to hear New Labours health plan care for the old codgers in the UK; watch their actions; give with one hand and take back with two hands.
Funny thing is; the Government is still operating an age discrimination policy for the over 65s, and telling massive porkies about social care in England; you have to experience social care in England to really know there is no social care supplied by local councils; families do it all on their own backs etc.
Call me out on that Gordon Brown; I will challenge you in public to a face to face talk; but you won’t; nor will your health ministers etc; you are all full of crap; and that is a fact in England today.
- Mickinlondon, london.
This fear of the pandemic sells Media that is hurting cause of lack advertisement revenue from this recession.
Does not help that Parliament is under attack from lack of confidence instigated by EU, see Gordon Brown's plans for NWO for details.
- William, Hay~Heath UK
To the reporters:
Could you please provide a source for your statement that 0.5% of those infected with swine flu are likely to die? Which epidemiologists, based on what studies? Early studies from Mexico, when very little was known about the number of mild cases?
This far exceeds current tentative data based on the numbers-to-date of estimated cases in the U.S. and the UK, as issued by HPA and CDC officials, relative to the numbers-to-date of deaths.
Seasonal flu is thought to kill about 0.1% of those infected. So your sources are positing a pandemic five times worse than the seasonal flu. The current pandemic virus may indeed mutate to become that severe, or worse. But at present, it does not appear to be so.
- Jody, Princeton NJ
