WHO fears pandemic is 'imminent'

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1. revathi
   

   Sir Liam Donaldson told the BBC although some cases would be serious, the UK had a "clear plan" which would help mitigate the virus's impact.
   
   Five people in the UK, including a girl of 12, are known to have the virus, but all are responding well to treatment.
   
   An advertising campaign to help prevent swine flu's spread has been launched.
   
   Sir Liam told BBC Breakfast: "What we will see is many, many more cases, and inevitably some serious cases - but on the whole people make a good recovery from flu."
   
   It was impossible to predict how many deaths there could be in the UK until more was known about the strain of the swine flu virus, he said.
   
   'Not alarmed'
   
   But certain groups would be more vulnerable than others, such as the elderly and very frail, he explained.
   
   However, Sir Liam said the UK was well prepared for the spread of swine flu and that he was "concerned, but not alarmed" about the situation.
   
   "I'm in a position where I feel we can reassure the public that we know what we are doing, we have a clear plan in place and we will do everything possible to mitigate the impact of this," he said.
   
   "We can't make it go away, lots of people will become ill, but we hope we will be able to deal with the problem in an orderly and organised way."
   
   Sir Liam had earlier ruled out screening all British travellers returning from Mexico, saying it was more important to "concentrate the public health attention" on those showing symptoms.
   
   On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its alert to level five - one short of a full-blown pandemic.
   
   The Department of Health's Catch it, Bin it, Kill it! adverts urge people to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, throw them away and wash their hands.
   
   "When you cough or sneeze, your germs go everywhere. Fast. And once they've hit a surface, they can survive for hours," warns the Department of Health's print advert.
   
   "Covering your mouth and nose with your hand won't stop them. But a tissue will."
   
   School closed
   
   Five cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the UK - all in people who have recently returned from Mexico, where there have been almost 160 suspected deaths.
   
   A 41-year-old woman from Redditch, Worcestershire, a 22-year-old from Barnet, north London, a couple from near Falkirk and a 12-year-old from Devon have all been diagnosed with swine flu.
   
   Map of swine flu cases in UK
   
   The schoolgirl had been on the same flight home as the first patients confirmed in the UK, Iain and Dawn Askham, from Polmont, near Falkirk.
   
   She is being treated at home and her condition is said to be "improving".
   
   The girl's school, Paignton Community College, has been closed for at least seven days and pupils are being offered anti-viral drugs.
   
   The Health Protection Agency said some 340 courses of treatment had so far been given out to the 267 pupils in the girl's year group and associated staff.
   
   Meanwhile, hundreds of British tourists are flying home on special charter flights from Mexico, where the outbreak started.
   
   Announcing the level five alert on Wednesday, WHO director general Margaret Chan urged all countries to activate their pandemic plans, including heightened surveillance and infection-control measures.
   
   She said action should be undertaken with "increased urgency", adding: "It really is the whole of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."
   
   The move followed the death of a 23-month-old Mexican child in Texas, US - the first death from swine flu outside Mexico.
   
   On Wednesday, during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, Gordon Brown said that the UK was taking "the precautions to prevent the incidence of this disease in this country".
   
   SYMPTOMS - WHAT TO DO
   Swine flu symptoms are similar to those produced by ordinary seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, aches, chills and fatigue
   If you have flu symptoms and recently visited affected areas of Mexico, seek medical advice.
   
   If you suspect you are infected, stay at home and take advice by telephone initially, in order to minimise the risk of infection
   
   
   This included enhanced airport checks, expanding anti-viral stocks from 35 million to 50 million by the end of May, ordering extra face masks and printing an information leaflet for every family, he said.
   
   The government's emergency committee Cobra is also considering possible restrictions to large gatherings like concerts and sporting events.
   
   Supplies of antibiotics are to be increased to deal with any complications arising as a result of flu infections.
   
   A: What is swine flu?
   Swine flu: How serious a threat?NHS Direct has taken thousands of calls about swine flu this week, while daily visits to its website have reached 85,000, compared with about 55,000 a week earlier.
   
   More than 70 people in the UK are currently being tested for the virus, with 20 possible cases in Wales and 32 in Scotland.

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