Second UK swine flu death

A second person has died of swine flu in the UK, health officials have confirmed.

The 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde area died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley on Saturday night.

Scottish health officials said the man had “serious underlying health conditions” and had been in the hospital’s intensive care unit for 15 days.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “Although it is concerning that the patient had swine flu, we are aware that the patient had very serious underlying health issues.

“It’s important to remember that the vast majority of those who have H1N1 are suffering from relatively mild symptoms.”

Earlier this month, a 38-year-old woman who gave birth prematurely while being treated at the Royal Alexandra Hospital died after contracting H1N1. She also had underlying health conditions.

According to the latest figures from the WHO, there have been 263 deaths and nearly 60,000 cases in some 100 countries and territories.