WHO Fears Pandemic Is ‘Imminent’

Britain will see “many, many more cases” of swine flu but most of those affected will recover, the government’s chief medical adviser has said.

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.

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES Mexico: 168 suspected deaths, eight confirmed US: One death, at least 91 confirmed cases Canada: 19 confirmed cases New Zealand: 13 confirmed cases Spain: 10 confirmed cases UK: Five confirmed cases Germany: Three confirmed cases Israel, Costa Rica: Two confirmed cases each Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Peru: One confirmed case each

“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.

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, who have now been released from hospital.

The girl is being treated at home and her condition is said to be “improving”.

Her 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.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown told a news conference on Thursday the government was taking “all the steps that are necessary to prepare and to protect the population” from the effects of the swine flu.

SWINE FLU ADVICE Use clean tissues when you cough or sneeze Bin tissues after use Wash hands with soap, hot water or gel Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader

He had previously told the House of Commons 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.

Supplies of antibiotics are to be increased to deal with any complications arising as a result of flu infections.

The government’s emergency committee Cobra, which was meeting again on Thursday morning, is also considering possible restrictions to large gatherings like concerts and sporting events.

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.

No suspected cases have yet been reported in Northern Ireland.