Post by June on Apr 27, 2009 22:40:33 GMT
A swine flu alert has been issued to all British hospitals telling them of its symptoms, what protective clothing staff should wear and how to report cases.
Two people have been admitted to hospital in Scotland as a precaution after returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. The results of their tests would be known today, said the Scottish health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon.
"The patients have displayed mild flu-like symptoms and their current condition is not causing concern," she said. Another "19 or 20" people in Scotland who had come into contact with them had been traced, she said.
The health secretary at Westminster, Alan Johnson, said there would inevitably be more potential cases and anyone entering the country with flu-like symptoms would be examined "very, very quickly".
The British government's chief medical officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, issued the alert telling UK hospitals how to handle the situation.
British tourists returning to Heathrow from Mexico City yesterday were kept back on their plane while they were questioned by health officials. There are no scheduled arrivals from Mexico City today.
One passenger, Ana Penalver, of London, who was wearing a blue mask to ward off infection, said some people on British Airways flight 242 had reported feeling unwell but they were all allowed off after doctors spoke to them.
The NHS has enough of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza to treat half the UK population, according to the Department of Health. The drugs have proved effective on patients in Mexico. Scientists were working on developing a vaccine against the new strain, Johnson told BBC1's Politics Show.
Scientists at the National Institute for Medical Research in north London spent the weekend working on virus samples provided by the US Centres for Disease Control and are expected to have diagnostic kits to detect the strain within a few days. Officials from across the government yesterday discussed the situation under the cabinet's emergency Cobra system, although ministers did not attend.
Spain has the single confirmed case in Europe so far. A British male flight attendant from the British Airways flight from Mexico City to Heathrow has been given the all-clear after having hospital tests when he showed flu-like symptoms.
In the event of a pandemic, it is likely that affected areas would be put under quarantine, travel restrictions imposed, schools closed and public meetings banned. In case of panic buying and food shortages, Cobra would be called into action to coordinate the response.
A national flu pandemic strategy drawn up in response to the threat of bird flu would be implemented. The Department of Health would establish a national operations room to co-ordinate medication and vaccine distribution.
A national flu hotline would be set up for people with symptoms to call. Those likely to have the virus would be given priority for antiviral drugs.
Healthcare workers would be given priority for doses of Relenza and Tamiflu. While these drugs are not cures, they can reduce the severity of the infection and help limit its spread while a vaccine is developed.
Two major drugs companies are contracted to develop vaccines against the virus.
Two people have been admitted to hospital in Scotland as a precaution after returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. The results of their tests would be known today, said the Scottish health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon.
"The patients have displayed mild flu-like symptoms and their current condition is not causing concern," she said. Another "19 or 20" people in Scotland who had come into contact with them had been traced, she said.
The health secretary at Westminster, Alan Johnson, said there would inevitably be more potential cases and anyone entering the country with flu-like symptoms would be examined "very, very quickly".
The British government's chief medical officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, issued the alert telling UK hospitals how to handle the situation.
British tourists returning to Heathrow from Mexico City yesterday were kept back on their plane while they were questioned by health officials. There are no scheduled arrivals from Mexico City today.
One passenger, Ana Penalver, of London, who was wearing a blue mask to ward off infection, said some people on British Airways flight 242 had reported feeling unwell but they were all allowed off after doctors spoke to them.
The NHS has enough of the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza to treat half the UK population, according to the Department of Health. The drugs have proved effective on patients in Mexico. Scientists were working on developing a vaccine against the new strain, Johnson told BBC1's Politics Show.
Scientists at the National Institute for Medical Research in north London spent the weekend working on virus samples provided by the US Centres for Disease Control and are expected to have diagnostic kits to detect the strain within a few days. Officials from across the government yesterday discussed the situation under the cabinet's emergency Cobra system, although ministers did not attend.
Spain has the single confirmed case in Europe so far. A British male flight attendant from the British Airways flight from Mexico City to Heathrow has been given the all-clear after having hospital tests when he showed flu-like symptoms.
In the event of a pandemic, it is likely that affected areas would be put under quarantine, travel restrictions imposed, schools closed and public meetings banned. In case of panic buying and food shortages, Cobra would be called into action to coordinate the response.
A national flu pandemic strategy drawn up in response to the threat of bird flu would be implemented. The Department of Health would establish a national operations room to co-ordinate medication and vaccine distribution.
A national flu hotline would be set up for people with symptoms to call. Those likely to have the virus would be given priority for antiviral drugs.
Healthcare workers would be given priority for doses of Relenza and Tamiflu. While these drugs are not cures, they can reduce the severity of the infection and help limit its spread while a vaccine is developed.
Two major drugs companies are contracted to develop vaccines against the virus.
