NHS issues statement regarding latest swine flu death

The NHS has commented on reports that suggest a patient in Essex has become the 15th person in the UK to die from swine flu – and the first individual with no underlying health conditions to have succumbed to the condition.

Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: “As with all flu-like viruses, some people are at higher risk than others.

“Unfortunately, people who are otherwise healthy could also become seriously ill or, sadly, die.”

NHS figures indicate that 335 people with swine flu are currently in hospital in England and 43 of these individuals are in critical care.

However, the organisation noted that the majority of people who have been affected by the condition have only experienced a “mild illness” that has passed within a few days.

Earlier this month, the NHS cited data from the Health Protection Agency which showed that swine flu was most commonly spread through contact in schools during the first months of the outbreak in the UK.