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| New cases as flu line goes live | New cases as flu line goes live |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A dedicated swine flu advice line for Scotland will go live on Thursday afternoon. | A dedicated swine flu advice line for Scotland will go live on Thursday afternoon. |
| The line will be accessed through NHS 24 and give information about swine flu and what to do if people have concerns. | The line will be accessed through NHS 24 and give information about swine flu and what to do if people have concerns. |
| Callers to the NHS 24 number - 08454 24 24 24 - will be given the option of being put straight through to a dedicated team dealing with swine flu. | Callers to the NHS 24 number - 08454 24 24 24 - will be given the option of being put straight through to a dedicated team dealing with swine flu. |
| The number of suspected swine flu cases in Scotland now stands at 32, the Scottish Government has confirmed. | The number of suspected swine flu cases in Scotland now stands at 32, the Scottish Government has confirmed. |
| Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said that following tests 15 further cases had resulted in negative results for the virus. | Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said that following tests 15 further cases had resulted in negative results for the virus. |
| Knowledge is power. Keeping everyone informed will help people to take appropriate steps to protect themselves as well as reassuring them about the level of risk Nicola Sturgeon, Health Secretary Scots firm to test vaccine Timeline of swine flu in Scotland | Knowledge is power. Keeping everyone informed will help people to take appropriate steps to protect themselves as well as reassuring them about the level of risk Nicola Sturgeon, Health Secretary Scots firm to test vaccine Timeline of swine flu in Scotland |
| The setting up of a line in Scotland contrasts with the situation south of the border where the Conservatives have hit out because a national pandemic flu helpline set out in UK government plans is not expected to be operational before the autumn. | The setting up of a line in Scotland contrasts with the situation south of the border where the Conservatives have hit out because a national pandemic flu helpline set out in UK government plans is not expected to be operational before the autumn. |
| However, a number will offer recorded information about the virus. | However, a number will offer recorded information about the virus. |
| Nicola Sturgeon said: "It's vital that members of the public can readily access reliable and trustworthy information about swine flu. | Nicola Sturgeon said: "It's vital that members of the public can readily access reliable and trustworthy information about swine flu. |
| "Knowledge is power. Keeping everyone informed will help people to take appropriate steps to protect themselves as well as reassuring them about the level of risk." | "Knowledge is power. Keeping everyone informed will help people to take appropriate steps to protect themselves as well as reassuring them about the level of risk." |
| Scotland's Public Health Minister Shona Robison will also be meeting other health ministers in Luxembourg to discuss the threat. | |
| Low risk | Low risk |
| On Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs the number of suspected cases at 32 included 24 new suspected cases, all of them people with travel connections to Mexico or other affected areas. | On Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs the number of suspected cases at 32 included 24 new suspected cases, all of them people with travel connections to Mexico or other affected areas. |
| Ms Sturgeon stressed the risk to the public was "low" and officials were working hard to keep it that way. | Ms Sturgeon stressed the risk to the public was "low" and officials were working hard to keep it that way. |
| There have been three more confirmed cases in the UK - two adults, in London and Birmingham, and a girl in Devon. | There have been three more confirmed cases in the UK - two adults, in London and Birmingham, and a girl in Devon. |
| All three of the new confirmed cases had recently travelled from Mexico. | All three of the new confirmed cases had recently travelled from Mexico. |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown said they had mild symptoms and were responding well to treatment. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown said they had mild symptoms and were responding well to treatment. |
| Advertisement | Advertisement |
| Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon's statement to MSPs | Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon's statement to MSPs |
| Iain and Dawn Askham, a newly-wed couple from Polmont near Falkirk, were the first Britons to be diagnosed with swine flu. | Iain and Dawn Askham, a newly-wed couple from Polmont near Falkirk, were the first Britons to be diagnosed with swine flu. |
| They were admitted to a Lanarkshire hospital at the weekend after honeymooning in Mexico. | They were admitted to a Lanarkshire hospital at the weekend after honeymooning in Mexico. |
| Ms Sturgeon said the Askhams were continuing to recover in hospital, adding that eight of the nine people who had been in close contact with the couple and had displayed mild symptoms had tested negative for swine flu. | Ms Sturgeon said the Askhams were continuing to recover in hospital, adding that eight of the nine people who had been in close contact with the couple and had displayed mild symptoms had tested negative for swine flu. |
| Test results in the ninth case are still outstanding. | Test results in the ninth case are still outstanding. |
| Suspected cases have now been investigated in the Forth Valley, Grampian, Lothian, Lanarkshire, Tayside, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran and Highland health board areas. | Suspected cases have now been investigated in the Forth Valley, Grampian, Lothian, Lanarkshire, Tayside, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ayrshire and Arran and Highland health board areas. |
| Ms Sturgeon said: "The test results suggest that, to date, as far as we know, we have managed to prevent the spread of infection within Scotland. | Ms Sturgeon said: "The test results suggest that, to date, as far as we know, we have managed to prevent the spread of infection within Scotland. |
| "That, at this stage, is encouraging." | "That, at this stage, is encouraging." |
| Affected areas | Affected areas |
| Parliament was told that, of the 14 cases under consideration reported on Tuesday, one had now been identified as a close contact of the Askhams. | Parliament was told that, of the 14 cases under consideration reported on Tuesday, one had now been identified as a close contact of the Askhams. |
| The rest were people who travelled from Mexico or other affected areas. | The rest were people who travelled from Mexico or other affected areas. |
| Ms Sturgeon said five of those cases had also tested negative for influenza, while two had been "declassified" as cases which were no longer suspect. | Ms Sturgeon said five of those cases had also tested negative for influenza, while two had been "declassified" as cases which were no longer suspect. |
| The results in seven of the cases - including the contact - remain outstanding. | The results in seven of the cases - including the contact - remain outstanding. |
| The further 24 suspected cases - under investigation as of 1000 BST on Wednesday - surfaced in the Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Highland and Lothian health board areas. | The further 24 suspected cases - under investigation as of 1000 BST on Wednesday - surfaced in the Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Highland and Lothian health board areas. |
| NHS 24 has increased its staffing resource and the service is performing extremely well with the rise in call demand Dr George CrooksNHS 24 medical director More newly-weds facing flu tests Scotland 'could help combat flu' Q&A: What is swine flu? | NHS 24 has increased its staffing resource and the service is performing extremely well with the rise in call demand Dr George CrooksNHS 24 medical director More newly-weds facing flu tests Scotland 'could help combat flu' Q&A: What is swine flu? |
| Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government's top priority was to disrupt the spread of infection by assuming all suspected swine flu cases to be positive until proven otherwise. | Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government's top priority was to disrupt the spread of infection by assuming all suspected swine flu cases to be positive until proven otherwise. |
| She said the second priority was to learn as much as possible about the nature of the virus, adding: "Our extensive contact of tracing suspected cases, something that not all countries do as systematically as we do, puts us in a potentially strong position to learn more about the virus and how it behaves. | She said the second priority was to learn as much as possible about the nature of the virus, adding: "Our extensive contact of tracing suspected cases, something that not all countries do as systematically as we do, puts us in a potentially strong position to learn more about the virus and how it behaves. |
| "That is, of course, vital in helping us shape our future response to it." | "That is, of course, vital in helping us shape our future response to it." |
| Scotland currently has a large enough stockpile of antiviral drugs to treat half the population if necessary, said the health secretary. | Scotland currently has a large enough stockpile of antiviral drugs to treat half the population if necessary, said the health secretary. |
| In the next few days, leaflets with information about swine flu will be sent to every household in the UK. | In the next few days, leaflets with information about swine flu will be sent to every household in the UK. |
| Organisations have been warned to make their own preparations for a possible pandemic. | Organisations have been warned to make their own preparations for a possible pandemic. |
| The UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said that a print, TV and radio advertising campaign would be launched on Thursday which would "warn the public about swine flu and remind people to cover their noses and mouths with tissues and then throw the tissue away". | The UK Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said that a print, TV and radio advertising campaign would be launched on Thursday which would "warn the public about swine flu and remind people to cover their noses and mouths with tissues and then throw the tissue away". |
| "The threat we face is serious but we have never been as prepared for a pandemic as we are now," he told MPs. | "The threat we face is serious but we have never been as prepared for a pandemic as we are now," he told MPs. |
| He also ruled out any need for slaughtering pigs in order to combat the spread of disease. | He also ruled out any need for slaughtering pigs in order to combat the spread of disease. |
| Meanwhile, the global outbreak has spread further, with the first death outside Mexico confirmed in the United States. | Meanwhile, the global outbreak has spread further, with the first death outside Mexico confirmed in the United States. |
| US health officials revealed that a child had died of swine flu in Texas. | US health officials revealed that a child had died of swine flu in Texas. |
| About 160 deaths in Mexico are being linked to the virus, though only a handful of those have been confirmed. | About 160 deaths in Mexico are being linked to the virus, though only a handful of those have been confirmed. |
| Samples of the new strain of swine flu found in Mexico and the US are being sent to Britain where work will start on analysing the virus. | Samples of the new strain of swine flu found in Mexico and the US are being sent to Britain where work will start on analysing the virus. |
| Leading bacteriologist Professor Hugh Pennington said the test results from Scotland would help answer how transmissible the virus was from person to person. | Leading bacteriologist Professor Hugh Pennington said the test results from Scotland would help answer how transmissible the virus was from person to person. |
| The World Health Organisation has raised its alert level to four - two steps short of declaring a pandemic. | The World Health Organisation has raised its alert level to four - two steps short of declaring a pandemic. |