Swine flu kills four more in region
Friday 13th November 2009, 11:29AM GMT.
Four more people with swine flu have died in the West Midlands, bringing the total to 23, new figures show today. None is believed to have been from Shropshire.
Nationally the number of people contracting swine flu has dropped – possibly due to the half-term school break. There were 64,000 estimated new cases in England last week, down from 84,000 the week before.
Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the figures were difficult to interpret because officials said the impact of half-term could last for two weeks.
Next week’s figures should give a fuller picture, he said.
In Shropshire, the latest data released by NHS West Midlands show a rise in the number of people attending GP surgeries across the region with flu-like symptoms over the last week.
The regional rate of GP consultations for flu and flu-like illnesses (per 100,000 population) is 54.8, up from 50.9 last week. The England average of 46.2.
And earlier this week health bosses in Telford & Wrekin heard although there could be the start of a downward trend in this second wave, there might be a third and fourth wave.
They were warned that impact on Shropshire hospital services this winter could still be “significant”.
The number of people with swine flu admitted to hospitals across Shropshire and the West Midlands this week was 206 compared with 203 last week.
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