QA Hospital treating patients with swine flu bug

Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, confirmed that a single-digit number of patients were being treated for a strain of swine flu.

A spokesperson added: ‘After a late start, the UK is experiencing high levels of influenza activity.

‘The number of flu cases at PHT have increased sharply in the past seven days and a number of patients have been admitted to the hospital with a flu-like illness.

‘The hospital is well prepared to treat severe cases of influenza which may require an in-patient admission.’

The trust is advising anyone with a flu-like illness should stay warm, rest, drink fluids and take over-the-counter medicines to control symptoms of headache, fever and muscle pain.

Its advice continued: ‘Pharmacists, GPs and the 111 service can be contacted for further information and advice. Information on the internet can be found on Public Health England and NHS choices webpages.’

In January, government body Public Health England, which lists its mission as ‘to protect and improve the nation’s health’, said that swine flu – A(H1N1)pdm09 – was an annual occurrence.

It said that since 2009 it had become more common.

Dr Richard Pebody, head of flu surveillance for PHE, said: ‘Flu continues to circulate, with increases seen for several indicators, in particular influenza-confirmed hospitalisations amongst younger adults.

‘Virus surveillance from the UK and elsewhere in Europe shows the strain is now the main seasonal flu virus and is currently well-matched to the vaccine strain at this stage.

‘We will continue to closely monitor the epidemiological and virological situation as the flu season continues.’