Leicester hospital closes three wards after patients contract Swine Flu

Ashitha Nagesh

Leicester Royal Infirmary has closed three wards (Picture: Alamy)

Fourteen cancer patients at Leicester’s Royal Infirmary have been diagnosed with Swine Flu.
The hospital was forced to close three wards after the discovery.
And another three patients – two adults and a child – are being treated for Swine Flu at the city’s Glenfield Hospital after being transferred from other parts of the country.
The patients, who are suffering from the H1N1 strain of influenza, have had to be isolated in order to avoid a major outbreak.
Those affected were immediately given antiviral drugs, as were all medical staff and relatives who came into contact with them.

The H1N1 Swine Flu virus (Picture: Getty Images)

Doctors are now asking people with cold and flu symptoms to stay away from the hospital.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals of Leicester said: ‘We have seen an increase in the number of flu cases in February, in both the community and across our hospital sites.
‘Fourteen patients on three Haematology wards at the Leicester Royal Infirmary have developed symptoms that have been confirmed as flu. All necessary precautions were taken and these patients have been isolated to avoid an outbreak.
‘We ask visitors who have cold and flu symptoms, such as a cough, runny nose or high temperature, to stay away from the hospital to avoid passing on their infections to our patients.’

The H1N1 vaccine (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Dr Philip Monk, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at PHE East Midlands, said: ‘We are seeing a slight increase in the number of cases of flu being reported in the East Midlands, however flu has been circulating for a number of weeks now and as with every flu season we would expect to see the number of cases rise and fall.

What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?

The symptoms of the H1N1 virus are similar to those of other types of flu.
They include:

• A sudden fever – a temperature of 38C or above
• Tiredness
• Aching muscles or joint pain
• A headache
• A runny or blocked nose

Source: NHS Choices

‘The H1N1 strain of influenza is now the main seasonal flu virus and so far this season the vaccine has been well matched to the types of flu strains circulating. We do know from previous flu seasons that H1N1 particularly affects young children, pregnant women and adults with long term health conditions.
‘It’s not too late for children and people in ‘at risk’ groups to get the vaccine for free, and this remains important now that flu is circulating.
‘This includes people with underlying health conditions, even those that are well managed, such as asthma, diabetes, heart, lung, liver or renal diseases, those with weakened immune systems, as well as older people and pregnant women.
‘Anyone in these groups who hasn’t yet had the vaccine should contact their GP, pharmacist or midwife, as they are at much greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch flu.’
An international Swine Flu pandemic in 2009 and 2010 resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people in Mexico.