Swine flu case in Raglan

Waikato Times

The Government is trying to manage the inevitable spread of swine flu and stop hospitals being overloaded with flu victims.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases has increased to 99, with two confirmed cases in the Waikato. The Waikato Times can confirm one of those cases is in the King Country, and the other in Raglan.

There were four new suspected cases in the Waikato yesterday, bringing the total number of suspected cases in the region to 10. Eleven people are in isolation. Yesterday also saw the first confirmed cases in Rotorua (a 45-year-old man) and two in Tauranga (a 19-year-old woman and another unspecified person.)

The maker of anti-viral drug Tamiflu has admitted it may not be able to keep up with public demand for the drug. While the Government has a stockpile of Tamiflu, shipments are selling out at chemists the day they arrive.

District health boards said services would inevitably be cut as the pandemic spread.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said the ministry was stepping up advertising mainly around the “helping not to spread the flu” message. Authorities were trying to delay the inevitable further increase in swine flu cases. The aim was to delay the peak beyond the normal winter seasonal increase in flu cases, Mr Ryall said.

“Normally we would see about 31,000 medical admissions to hospitals a month during winter. Officials think we could end up with another 4000 or so if the swine flu peak matches the winter peak,” he said. “That is why we are working assiduously to try and prevent that from happening.”

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