NHS offers swine flu update

The NHS has issued updated information on swine flu, following the confirmation of the eighth fatal case of the illness in the UK.

Noting that each of the people who died as a result of the infection had “serious underlying health conditions”, the organisation explained that most people who have been affected by the condition have only experienced a “mild illness”.

It also added that the majority of these people have become well again within a few days, without needing to visit a hospital or GP.

The NHS explained that health secretary Andy Burnham, the Labour MP for Leigh, recently announced that the UK has moved from a “containment” stance into a “treatment” phase for the condition and that this will have a number of effects.

Among them will be that the antiviral medicines Tamiflu and Relenza will no longer be given to perfectly healthy people to slow the spread of the condition and that they will only be used for prophylaxis on the advice of a doctor in high-risk groups.

These include pregnant women, children and people over the age of 65.