The sharp rise in the UK is seriously impacting the NHS which is now setting up special hotlines to support the rapidly growing numbers. Doctors and hospitals in parts of the UK are being overwhelmed by the flood of new cases. The UK is now preparing for a worst case scenario of 65,000 deaths. Sounds extreme but the rapid increase has alarmed the country.
The swine flu pandemic is growing exponentially with 55,000 new cases in the past week, twice the number in the previous week. There have been 29 deaths across the UK, up from 16 the previous week, and the number of people admitted to hospital because of the virus has doubled to 652. There was a "massive surge" in consultations with GPs last Monday and pressure on the NHS has become intense, Sir Liam said. In response, he announced the launch of the National Pandemic Flu Service, a dedicated internet and telephone helpline with 2,000 operators, to take the pressure off frontline medical staff.
Planning assumptions for the NHS, published yesterday, show that up to half of all children may eventually fall ill with swine flu. Although the virus is still mild in most people – and there is no sign yet that it is mutating – it is targeting younger people. The hospitalisation rate for the under-fives is four times that for other age groups.
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