Cardiac Services- Swine flu infection rate doubles!
7 Jan 2011
Rates of swine flu infection have doubled in the past week, with an estimated 5,000-plus cases treated by GPs already in 2011.
The numbers of patients hospitalised with flu have also increased threefold in a week. Some 114 patients had been hospitalised up to Wednesday night and 33 patients had been admitted to intensive care, including at least two pregnant women.
A week ago, the numbers hospitalised since the beginning of the flu season in October stood at 36 and just five had been admitted to intensive care. Most of those admitted to intensive care had not received the flu vaccine. A total of 26 patients remain in intensive care.
The latest figures from the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre show rates of flu-like illness increased to 120.6 per 100,000 of the population in the week ending January 2nd compared to 59.5 per 100,000 the week before.
The latest figures from Northern Ireland, released yesterday, show a similar trend. The North’s Public Health Agency reported that the number treated for swine flu rose from 136 in the second last week of 2010 to 185 in the last week.
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