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Swine flu outbreak kills two
Eastbourne District General Hospital
SWINE flu has claimed its second victim at Eastbourne District General Hospital, the Gazette understands.
A 39-year-old woman died on New Year’s Day, and the deadly virus has killed another.
DGH staff said a 42-year-old patient has also succumbed to swine flu – the only two deaths from the virus in Sussex this winter. The 42-year-old is thought to have died around the same time as the first victim, and another patient is believed to have narrowly avoided death.
The hospital has reportedly set aside a designated flu ward, including a resuscitation room, because of the life-threatening nature of the virus.
Staff on the ward are wearing masks, gloves and hospital gowns to limit the spread of infection, according to a Gazette source.
Nichola Hill, 37, whose 14-month-old daughter Elspeth recovered from swine flu at the DGH and was discharged on January 4, said, “We were told by a nurse that a lot of people in their 30s were in intensive care with swine flu.
“Another nurse said two people had died.
“One of the nurses in A&E said Elspeth was the first really poorly child with swine flu, but they knew that would be the start of it.
“They obviously knew the signs there would be an epidemic.”
Although health bosses refused to confirm or deny the deaths because of patient confidentiality, they said 51 patients in Kent, Surrey and Sussex hospitals were in hospital beds on Thursday (January 6) with confirmed or suspected swine flu.
The press office for the East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the DGH, and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, referred calls about the virus to the NHS South Coast Strategic Health Authority at Horley.
A spokesperson for the SHA said, “We are not confirming any suspected cases of flu. It’s really around the issue of patient confidentiality.
“We would say in this instance it’s important people are being vaccinated and it’s important people do not go to hospital unless they are suffering from serious complications and that, as much as possible, most flu can be treated at home.
“Unfortunately flu can be serious and people can die from flu. It does happen regularly but, at the moment, the incidents of flu are within the normal range for this time of year.”
Doctors will carry out tests on the bodies to confirm swine flu was the cause of death.
Last winter swine flu killed three people across Sussex, including two children, and hundreds of people were hospitalised during the outbreak.
• Do you know the two victims of swine flu? If you would like to pay tribute to them call 01323 414486 or email josh.pettitt@trbeckett.co.uk
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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