Breaking News
Swine Flu Advice Leaflets For All UK Homes
5:03am UK, Wednesday April 29, 2009
Swine flu information leaflets are to be sent to all UK homes as fears grow about the scale of the outbreak, which has so far infected at least two Britons.
The step comes as health professionals prepare for the emergence of more suspected cases of swine flu.
Four in 10 Britons could be infected in the next six months if the virus continues to spread, according to health officials.
The first two British cases - Mexico honeymoon couple Iain and Dawn Askham, of Polmont, near Falkirk - were confirmed on Monday, with further possible cases emerging on Tuesday.
As the newlyweds are treated in isolation at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, it was reported that a second Scottish couple who had been on their honeymoon in Mexico have been quarantined in their home.
Meanwhile, results of some of the swine flu tests being carried out on 23 people across Scotland are expected back today.
Among those undergoing the tests are nine people who have been in close contact with Mr and Mrs Askham.
Another 14 people with travel links to Mexico or affected parts of the United States have also shown mild symptoms of swine flu and are being tested.
Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) taskforce which raised the alert over the outbreak to level four, said 40% of people in the UK could be infected if the country was hit by a pandemic.
But Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain was "among the best prepared countries in the world" and added that the Government was taking "all the urgent action that is necessary" to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The Government's ability to deal with a potential flu pandemic has been questioned
The Government's Cobra emergencies committee, involving both Mr Brown and Health Secretary Alan Johnson, met to discuss the issue as Britons were warned to avoid all but essential travel to Mexico.
And leaflets which describe the virus and advise people on how to deal with it, are to be distributed to all UK households next week.
Officials are also trying to increase Britain's stockpile of facemasks, for use by doctors and nurses treating infected patients rather than by the general public.
"Although we are aware that face masks are being given out to the public in Mexico, the available scientific evidence does not support the general wearing of face masks by those who are not ill whilst going about their normal activities," a Department of Health spokesperson said.
On Tuesday, Thomas Cook cancelled all Thomas Cook and Airtours holidays to Cancun for the next seven days and Thomson Holidays' parent company TUI said it would not be operating any more flights to Mexico until the Foreign Office travel advice changed.
The European Commission warned that swine flu outbreaks were likely to get worse in Europe over the next few days, but advised the public not to panic.
Dr Maureen Baker, the honorary secretary of the Royal College of GPs, said family doctors should reassure patients that they could expect to recover from flu within a week - even if it was swine flu.
I wonder who will be delivering them
Got to come in or you get stages 
Maybe the WHO should put ATOS in charge of this pandemic ,they seem to be good at miracle cures 
