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Sharp rise in new swine flu cases Swine flu cases continue to rise
(9 minutes later)
The number of new cases of swine flu in England has almost doubled over the last seven days to 9,000, official figures show.The number of new cases of swine flu in England has almost doubled over the last seven days to 9,000, official figures show.
That compares to 5,000 the previous week, and 3,000 before that. In Scotland, the new weekly figures showed a slight increase from 6,180 to 7,034.That compares to 5,000 the previous week, and 3,000 before that. In Scotland, the new weekly figures showed a slight increase from 6,180 to 7,034.
While the majority of cases continue to be mild, the total number of swine flu-related deaths in the UK stands at 82.While the majority of cases continue to be mild, the total number of swine flu-related deaths in the UK stands at 82.
Figures for Northern Ireland and Wales are due to be released shortly. The levels of swine flu are much lower in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, a critically-ill swine flu patient from Lanarkshire has been sent to a hospital in Leicester for specialist blood treatment. The figures are on the increase but they are still some way short of what they were in July when England alone was seeing more than 100,000 cases a week.
The government agency, Health Protection Scotland, says the rate of consultations with GPs for flu-like illnesses has risen almost 10% in the past week. Everything suggests we are seeing the start of the second peak, but we just don't know how big that will be Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer
Respiratory disease And, to put it into context, the levels being reported are below the amount of seasonal flu that could be expected during a bad winter.
The Health Protection Agency's estimates for new cases in England have been rising over the past few weeks after a period of falling statistics. Nonetheless, Sir Liam Donaldson, the government's chief medical officer, said he would have hoped to have seen no rises to buy more time to roll out the vaccine programme.
Swine flu has spread across the world since emerging in Mexico and is now officially the first flu pandemic for 40 years. The government is still awaiting approval from regulators for the two types of vaccines it has bought.
It is a respiratory disease, caused by a strain of the influenza type A virus known as H1N1. Symptoms are similar to those produced by standard, seasonal flu. Once that happens - and it is expected soon - GPs will start immunising the priority groups, which include people with health conditions and pregnant women.
Sir Liam said children and young people were responsible for much of the rising number of new infections.
He said he had been alerted to flu outbreaks in 66 schools although the true number was likely to be much higher.
"Everything suggests we are seeing the start of the second peak, but we just don't know how big that will be."