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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Nine-year-old with swine flu dies | Nine-year-old with swine flu dies |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A nine-year-old girl has died at Birmingham Children's Hospital after contracting swine flu. | A nine-year-old girl has died at Birmingham Children's Hospital after contracting swine flu. |
| NHS West Midlands said the girl, who had other serious underlying health conditions, died on Friday evening. | NHS West Midlands said the girl, who had other serious underlying health conditions, died on Friday evening. |
| It is not known if swine flu contributed to her death, the hospital said. Her death is the third swine-flu related fatality in the UK. | It is not known if swine flu contributed to her death, the hospital said. Her death is the third swine-flu related fatality in the UK. |
| Two more deaths were in Scotland. There have been 1,604 confirmed swine flu cases in England since Friday. | Two more deaths were in Scotland. There have been 1,604 confirmed swine flu cases in England since Friday. |
| 'Highest number' | 'Highest number' |
| The total number of cases in England has reached 4,968 with the UK's total now rising to 5,937. | |
| The Health Protection Agency confirmed 588 new cases of swine flu in the West Midlands region on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the region to 2,104. | The Health Protection Agency confirmed 588 new cases of swine flu in the West Midlands region on Monday, taking the total number of cases in the region to 2,104. |
| The number of confirmed cases in the West Midlands is more than a third of the UK's total and more than two-fifths of all the cases in England. | |
| our experience here has been that the vast majority of cases with swine flu are mild Helen Carter, NHS West Midlands | |
| The first person to die after contracting swine flu outside North America was Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, who died on 14 June. | |
| A 73-year-old man from Paisley who had the virus was confirmed as having died on Sunday. | A 73-year-old man from Paisley who had the virus was confirmed as having died on Sunday. |
| Six revellers were sent home from the Glastonbury festival over the weekend with suspected swine flu. | |
| Three or four ball boys and girls suffering from a "flu-like illness" were asked to stay away from the Wimbledon tennis tournament. | |
| The World Health Organisation has declared the virus a pandemic. | The World Health Organisation has declared the virus a pandemic. |
| 'Small minority' | |
| Dr Helen Carter, Consultant in Public Health, NHS West Midlands said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the patients at this very sad time. | Dr Helen Carter, Consultant in Public Health, NHS West Midlands said: "Our thoughts are with the family of the patients at this very sad time. |
| "The family have asked for the patient's identity to be kept private and we will not be releasing any further details. | "The family have asked for the patient's identity to be kept private and we will not be releasing any further details. |
| "We ask that you respect the families' privacy at this difficult time. | "We ask that you respect the families' privacy at this difficult time. |
| "The West Midlands have seen the highest number of cases of swine flu. | "The West Midlands have seen the highest number of cases of swine flu. |
| "It is important to remember that our experience here has been that the vast majority of cases with swine flu are mild." | "It is important to remember that our experience here has been that the vast majority of cases with swine flu are mild." |
| 'Do better' | |
| A Department of Health Spokesperson said the cases of swine flu found in the UK have "so far been generally mild in most people". | |
| But she said they were proving to be "severe in a small minority of cases". | |
| The spokesperson added: "We are continuing to work to slow the spread of the disease in the majority of the UK. | |
| "But we are allowing a more flexible outbreak management approach in areas where more community transmission has taken place. | |
| "Here, it makes sense to move beyond extensive swabbing and all contact tracing." | |
| Earlier on Monday, Dr Hamish Meldrum, head of the British Medical Association (BMA), said the public can rely upon doctors to "step up to the mark" as swine flu spreads. | |
| He said flu plans were currently working quite well across the UK, apart from in some areas where NHS trusts thought they could "do better" by departing from national guidance. | |
| Some 366 retired GPs have joined a BMA register, saying they are willing to treat patients if the flu pandemic reaches crisis point. | |
| Dr Meldrum told doctors attending the BMA conference in Liverpool: "As yet, we haven't seen how well the UK will respond to the effects of a full-blown pandemic. | |
| "But what I can say and where I can reassure the public is that, whatever the crisis, you can rely on the doctors of the UK to step up to the mark." |