Wales prepared for 'swine flu'?
The BBC has reported that there are NINE more cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Wales, taking the total to 26.
Among the latest cases is a 25-year-old local man who works at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
Health officials said this case is not connected to that of another hospital employee confirmed at the weekend, but was travel related.
The man is no longer at work and there is no further risk to patients or staff at the hospital, they said.
Everyone who has been confirmed with swine flu in this latest batch - involving people in their early twenties from Cardiff, Swansea and Caerphilly - have been offered antiviral medicine and are recovering well.
So far 201 people have been investigated for swine flu in Wales and only one person has been taken to hospital. Sixteen cases are still under investigation.
New cases:
- A 21-year-old man from Cardiff who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Leicester.
- A 19-year-old woman from Swansea who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Exeter.
- A 20-year-old woman from Swansea who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Exeter.
- A 20-year-old woman from Cardiff who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Exeter.
- A 19-year-old woman from Cardiff who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Exeter.
- A 19-year-old woman from Cardiff who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Warwick.
- A 19-year-old woman from Bridgend County Borough who is a direct contact of a confirmed case in Exeter.
- A 22-year-old woman from Caerphilly who is a contact of a confirmed case in Oxford.
While Dr Roland Salmon from the National Public Health Service for Wales added: "Because this particular type of swine flu is new, people have little or no immunity to it. For this reason, we know it will spread across the country eventually."
... the Welsh Assembly Government's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jewell has said the authorities were prepared for the virus outbreak and have "robust procedures" in place. "While we are prepared for this, we are not complacent and people must be vigilant."
How can you prepare for something that is new, particularly as each outbreak may be different in terms of strain, and each person will respond to the virus in a different way to another? It seems that Dr Jewell has been in management posts for longer than he cares to remember.
NHS Direct can be contacted on 0845 46 47.
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