Swine Flu panic rises after death of six-year-old girl and a Doctor
Daily Mail News
15th July 2009
Swine flu helplines are being flooded with calls as panic over
the deadly virus rises, it was revealed today.
Staff at NHS Direct have fielded more than 52,000 calls in the last week compared
to a total of 190,000 since April.
Many of the callers are not thought to be ill but are scared
The rise in calls is despite health chiefs insisting there is no need to panic
and trying to reassure people that measures to contain swine flu are in place.
Public fears have increased after yesterday's announcement that a healthy child
and a GP with no known underlying problems have died from the virus.
The deaths of Chloe Buckley, six, and Dr Michael Day mean three people with
no previous health problems have now died of the illness out of a total of 17
deaths across Britain.
Chloe's parents described her as their 'fun-loving baby girl' today as they
spoke of their distress for the first time.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said it was a 'tragedy' today but insisted people
must not worry too much.
'There have been lots of children already having the condition but making a
very quick and full recovery. We do have to keep it in perspective,' he said.
Britain was at the 'front of the queue' for the swine flu vaccine and the first
should arrive here next month, the minister added.
'We could not be in a better position. So as soon as stocks are made, the very
first vaccines will come to this country. We expect to get the first next month.'
Enough vaccine for the whole population has been ordered and half of all doses
are expected to arrive by the end of the year.
A list has been drawn up of people who will get the first injections, including
health workers and patients with conditions like diabetes and asthma.
Scientists fear a unique strain of the virus has already developed in London
due to the sheer number of infections.
This could mutate into an even more virulent version which could prove more
dangerous and faster-spreading.
However, experts are currently adamant swine flu is no more contagious than
the normal seasonal flu and will prove mild for most who catch it.
'The vast majority of people will recover quickly by taking paracetamol or ibuprofen,
and drinking plenty of fluids,' said Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's
GP committee.
'We must remember that every year there are deaths from complications of seasonal
flu; this is unfortunately inevitable with any strain of influenza.'
But the reassurances are falling on increasingly deaf ears as the death toll
continues to rise.
A NHS Direct source told London's Evening Standard: '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.'
People are now being urged to use 'other channels' to release some of the pressure
on the service, a spokesman added.
Schoolgirl Chloe died within 48 hours of complaining of a sore throat and just
a day before her seventh birthday.
She was not given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu but her parents today insisted she had been treated appropriately.
Michael and Jacinta Buckley said in a statement: 'We are obviously very distressed
at the loss of our fun-loving baby girl. Nothing can replace her in our lives.'
They added: 'We are satisfied that the medical care Chloe received at all times
was appropriate.
It was also announced yesterday that Dr Day, a 64-year-old GP who had been
treating swine flu victims, died after contracting the virus.
Both the little girl and the doctor are believed to have been perfectly healthy
before succumbing to swine flu.
Further tests are being carried out today to pinpoint an exact cause of death for Chloe and Dr Day.
The six-year-old, from West Drayton, West London, became ill on Wednesday and died on Thursday night.
Dr Day, a GP from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, died on Saturday in the Luton and Dunstable Hospital. He is also understood to have been healthy.
'Doctors have always accepted that there are risks associated with their job,' Dr Buckman said. 'Obviously these are smaller than they used to be with the advent of modern medicine, but they can never be eliminated altogether.
'It is understandable that people will be worried when they hear that a GP has died but we urge them to follow the recommended advice and contact their family doctor, rather than physically going to the surgery if they have symptoms.
'While these individual deaths are tragedies for the families concerned, it
is very important that members of the public do not panic.'
Last Friday, the NHS announced the first case of a healthy person to have died
of swine flu. All other deaths involved patients with underlying health problems.
The man, from Essex, who has not been named, fought for nine days before losing
his battle against the virus.