The number of deaths recorded from flu in Britain this winter more than doubled in the last week, according to figures published yesterday.
Many of the deaths took place last month but have only just been confirmed, the Health Protection Agency said.
So far in the winter some 112 flu deaths have been confirmed – with 95 of these from the H1N1 swine flu. The numbers have jumped by 62 in a week.
The deaths include six children under the age of five and nine aged between five and 14.
Professor John Watson, of the HPA, warned of a slight increase in bacterial infections causing pneumonia and meningitis following flu. He said doctors were being warned to watch for the symptoms of these diseases.
He said: "Our latest flu report suggests levels of people seeing their doctor for flu-like illness is beginning to plateau but this may be skewed by the recent holiday period.
"Flu is still circulating in the community and the message remains that those people in an at-risk group should have their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible as this is the best way to protect themselves from flu this winter.
"Most people with flu can ‘self care’ by taking plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids and taking over the counter pain relievers such as paracetamol. But anyone displaying severe symptoms, particularly those in vulnerable groups should contact their GP or local out-of-hours service for medical advice."
Extra advice for the public was published yesterday by Best Health, produced by the BMJ Group, bringing together the latest research about swine flu.
The seasonal flu vaccine for 2010/2011 protects against swine flu and other types of seasonal flu and is unlikely to cause any serious side effects, says the report.
The best treatment for it are the antiviral medicines oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), which do not cure the illness but reduce the symptoms of flu by a day and may offer some protection from such complications as pneumonia.
Best Health urged pregnant women who develop swine flu to start taking antiviral medication as soon as possible and urged nursing mothers to continue breastfeeding, even if they have swine flu, because it will help protect the baby against the virus.
It reinforced the message that the best way to avoid catching swine flu, or any other type of cold or flu, is to wash hands regularly with soap and hot water. Other sensible hygiene measures to help prevent the spread of swine flu are:
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, using a tissue where possible;
• Dispose of used tissues quickly and sensibly;
• Clean regularly-touched hard surfaces (e.g. door handles and kitchen surfaces) frequently, using normal cleaning products.
Best Health said there was no evidence that wearing masks on the street, or while going about your daily business, will protect you against swine flu, because most masks are designed to stop the wearer from passing on the germs.
It concedes that masks might be helpful for swine flu sufferers, to avoid passing it on.
Leave a Reply