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The death toll just keeps on rising after it has been confirmed that a six-year-old girl from London has died after contracting swine flu. Little Chloe Buckley with her life ahead of her had it cut short after being struck down with the virus. Chloe, from North West London, died on Thursday at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, central London. Doctors said Chloe had contracted the virus in the United Kingdom which is reported to have the third highest total number of confirmed cases in the world after the US, which has at least 33,902 cases, and Mexico where the virus was supposed to have started, has 10,262. Approximately 10,000 Britons have been confirmed with swine flu…but it is believed to be present in hundreds of thousands of other Brits.
It's a bit like reliving the past with the plague (Black Death.) It's getting scarier by the minute knowing that the best possible care, modern medicine and technology is not stopping people becoming prey... falling victim to this virus, and dying from it.
Another recent death following the sad loss of little Chloe was that of Dr Michael Day from Bedfordshire. According to NHS East of England, at the time of his death which occurred on Saturday in the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, the exact cause of death was still unknown, however after further tests were done… a swab taken revealed and confirmed Dr Day positive for the H1N1 swine flu virus. As a result of Dr Day dying, it proves that even them who highly skilled in looking after the sick are also vulnerable.
The virus has swept through the UK since April, infecting thousands of people, although most have suffered mild symptoms. I was actually in Florida attending a wedding when I first heard of the Swine Flu from people arriving on holiday. It's funny when you're away from your home how the seriousness of something as big and as major as this just doesn't seem to register. Of course when back on British soil it all changed after seeing the extent of the damage it has done, and doing to people around the world. If swine flu hasn't killed you then it's certainly has a way of killing your mind. This disease is mentally disturbing causing people to live in fear. Until the vaccine is developed and administered will we feel safe? In saying this Dr Hilary Jones off morning TV announced there was no guarantee of it serving its purpose for which it is created.
Who should get the vaccine first? Doctors and nurses should get swine flu vaccine first, WHO says because they need to be protected so they can treat the ailing. Yes this makes sense as we look to these people for help, "but" does it not also make sense to vaccinate people from contracting the virus so these medical experts don't have to treat.
A vaccine against the H1N1 bug may not be available for months. There have now been 17 swine flu-related deaths in the UK, and in comparison to the figures given below may not seem a lot, but one life is too many.
WORLD UPDATE - WHO - 6 July 2009 -- Cumulative Total number of confirmed cases of Novel H1N1 World Wide: 94,512 confirmed cases and 429 deaths
About Swine Flu
H1N1 swine flu attacks the respiratory system in a more continued way than the typical seasonal virus, tests in animal's shows. Swine flu also proliferates in great numbers across the respiratory system, and causes more damage. Unlike seasonal flu staying in the head it goes deeper into the respiratory tissues giving cause for pneumonia. It is a highly contagious disease and usually found in pigs. At one time you would have had to have contact with pigs to become infected; however this new virus has mutated enough to permit human-to-human transmission.
Symptoms of swine flu are disturbingly confusing because of their similarity to other conditions that you would normally take a pill for and lie down till the illness has run its course, and passed over. Symptoms of swine flu are fever, weakness, loss of appetite and coughing. It's been known in some patients to have a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Protection tips
It is of the utmost importance to wash your hands regular to protect against catching the flu virus.
Don't go to work or school if you're feeling sick as there's a possibility it could be swine flu. Avoid using public transport. Don't use your hand to cover your sneezing, use tissue then discard. If possible move away from people when you sneeze, or if they do.
You could wear a face mask to help reduce the risk of infection, however it would have to be worn properly and continuously and then no sure guarantee.
In some parts of the country patients are being asked not to go to the surgery to lessen the risk of spreading the disease to others. Instead, they are told to stay home and call the nurse/doctor.
You don't have to stop eating bacon, pork chops or ham.
More about Swine Flu
* April 26: Iain and Dawn Askham, of Polmont, are confirmed as the first UK cases of swine flu after coming back from their honeymoon in Mexico.
* June 11: The World Health Organization announced the outbreak is now a pandemic because its geographical spread is worldwide.
* June 14: Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, was the first person to die in the United Kingdom of the virus. It was a fortnight after giving birth to her son Jack (born 11 weeks prematurely) when she died. The Crown Office said Ms Fleming's death was due to multi-organ failure caused by influenza pneumonia (H1N1.) Her baby son passed away the following day (June 15) but not from Swine flu.
* June 27: A 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde region of Scotland died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
* June 26: Sameerah Ahmad, six, another young life who was born with a rare life-threatening disease, died at Birmingham's Children's Hospital after contracting the virus. Following tests on Sameerah's body, swine flu was confirmed but uncertainty loomed over whether this contributed to her death.
* July 3: A 19-year-old man is the first person in London to die after contracting swine flu.
* July 6: A nine-year-old child is confirmed as the second person in London to die. The child had serious underlying health problems.
* July 6: Asmaa Hussain 9, and teacher, Abdullah Patel, both from Dewsbury, died after contracting swine flu. Both had serious health problems.
* July 10: A hospital patient from Essex becomes the first person "WITHOUT" underlying health problems to die after contracting swine flu.
For awhile people who had good health thought they were safe because most people who had died from the virus had underlying health problems…but the above now proves otherwise leaving us still running scared.
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