Bucks declared swine flu hotspot (From Bucks Free Press)

Bucks declared swine flu hotspot

1:40pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE was declared a swine flu hotspot on Tuesday night, NHS bosses revealed today.

And Jane McVea urged otherwise healthy people with swine flu symptoms – the same risk as seasonal flu - not to see their GP but look after themselves.

She said: “We have evidence of person to person spread in Buckinghamshire.”

She told councillors today: “You wouldn’t go to your GP normally if it was not a pandemic so don’t go now.”

Mrs McVea, assistant director of quality at Buckinghamshire NHS Primary Care Trust, added: “That allows us to focus our services on the vulnerable who are those who cannot care for themselves for whatever reason.”

It comes after ministers announced the virus was effectively out of control in the UK and cases would no longer be counted. There could be 100,000 cases a day by August, they said.

So far 47 of cases have been reported in the south of county, and is known to have hit five schools (see link, bottom of story). Five have died in the UK.

St John's CE Combined School, Lacey Green, Princes Risborough today said there was a pupil with an unconfirmed case.

Mrs McVea said: “To the public, pandemic sounds very frightening but all it means is lots of countries in the world have flu at the same time.

“It doesn’t stipulate how severe the disease is.”

She said the whole of the UK was now effectively a hotspot.

And she said authorities were ready. “We have systems in place to keep the economy running and the public safe as the pandemic unfolds.”

Staffing in the NHS may fall as people go off sick, she said.

Have you been affected by swine flu? Leave your comments below or email bfpnews@london.newsquest.co.uk.

Yet she was unable to predict, when asked by Bucks Free Press, how many cases were expected in the county.

Councillor David Watson said: “A lot of us, particularly the older generation, are worried about the headlines in the newspapers, particularly there will be 100,000 new patients daily.”

Mrs McVea said: “The majority of people will get fairly minor diseases and will stay at home, take their fluids, their paracetamol, be self-caring and be fine.”

She said authorities have “no history” to compare the growing outbreak to but would take “logical, sensible step” as it evolves.

And she said: “Schools are well organised, they know what they are doing. They get out their messages out quickly and promptly.”

Buckinghamshire County Council, the education authority said the PCT was recording schools affected. The Free Press has asked the PCT for a list of affected schools.

It was “too early to tell” if the virus would mutate and said plans were in place to address Cllr Wendy Mallen’s concerns about care home staffing, Mrs McVea said.

“They are having enough problems getting enough staff within normal conditions,” Cllr Mallen said.

Yet Mrs McVea said it was not yet known what severe underlying medical problems in could make the virus fatal among those who contracted it.

Data was being analysed nationally to find out, she said.

Cllr Paul Rogerson said: “My wife has an underlying medical condition and is petrified of this thing.”

He added: “Reassurance is what we need.”

Latest figures show 16 cases in Wycombe district, 14 in South Bucks and 17 in Chiltern.

Paul Dewols, head at St John's School, said: "We do have one unconfirmed case as indeed many other schools have.

"We sent a letter to parents yesterday."

Advice had been sought from the authorities, he said.

"We are going to go about life as normal, we do not need to close the school."

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