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| Scots swine flu 'in line with US' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The rate of people being hospitalised from swine flu in Scotland is now on a par with the situation in the US, it has emerged. | The rate of people being hospitalised from swine flu in Scotland is now on a par with the situation in the US, it has emerged. |
| The Scottish Government has announced changes to the handling of swine flu cases, with doctors being used to make diagnoses in some areas. | |
| Ministers stressed most people with the virus had relatively mild symptoms. | Ministers stressed most people with the virus had relatively mild symptoms. |
| A sharp increase in swine flu cases in Australia may mean the infection has become a pandemic. | A sharp increase in swine flu cases in Australia may mean the infection has become a pandemic. |
| There are 311 confirmed cases of swine flu in Scotland - more than a third of the UK total of 797. | |
| Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs: "We have seen a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Scotland over the past 10 days. | Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs: "We have seen a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in Scotland over the past 10 days. |
| Under some scenarios, maintaining business exactly as normal will not be possible Nicola SturgeonScottish health secretary | |
| "Based on this experience, Health Protection Scotland has expressed the view that sustained community transmission appears to be taking place." | "Based on this experience, Health Protection Scotland has expressed the view that sustained community transmission appears to be taking place." |
| Ms Sturgeon went on: "Of the 311 confirmed cases in Scotland, 18 have been admitted to hospital for clinical reasons, giving us a hospitalisation rate broadly in line with that seen in the United States. | Ms Sturgeon went on: "Of the 311 confirmed cases in Scotland, 18 have been admitted to hospital for clinical reasons, giving us a hospitalisation rate broadly in line with that seen in the United States. |
| "While we are seeing a small number of people develop complications, most of whom have underlying health conditions, it is still the case that the vast majority of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms." | "While we are seeing a small number of people develop complications, most of whom have underlying health conditions, it is still the case that the vast majority of people contracting the virus are experiencing relatively mild symptoms." |
| The health secretary said that, in areas where there were large numbers of cases - such as Dunoon, Glasgow and Paisley - diagnosis would be by a doctor rather than through laboratory tests. | |
| Anti-virals, such as Tamiflu, would also only be given to the very close contacts of those with the virus to prevent the virus developing resistance. | Anti-virals, such as Tamiflu, would also only be given to the very close contacts of those with the virus to prevent the virus developing resistance. |
| 'Successful approach' | |
| In other areas with small numbers of cases, the current policy of tracing contacts and trying to contain an outbreak will continue. | In other areas with small numbers of cases, the current policy of tracing contacts and trying to contain an outbreak will continue. |
| Of 18 Scottish hospital cases, five are in intensive care or a high dependency unit, two are "critical but stable" and the other three were described as "stable". | |
| And a total of 15 Scottish schools and nurseries were fully or partly closed as of Thursday. | |
| Ms Sturgeon said the policy of trying to slow the spread of the virus had been successful, adding health boards had dealt "exceptionally well" with the outbreak so far. | |
| But she warned: "There will come a point when even this more flexible approach to containment will no longer be effective and the focus will shift from containing the spread of the virus to mitigating its impact." | |
| The health secretary said a pandemic could have a wide-ranging impact, even if symptoms continued to be no more serious than seasonal flu, adding: "Under some scenarios, maintaining business exactly as normal will not be possible or practical." | |
| For a swine flu pandemic to be declared, officials would have to verify the disease has established itself outside North America, where the crisis began. | For a swine flu pandemic to be declared, officials would have to verify the disease has established itself outside North America, where the crisis began. |