Source: Newstalk ZB
ONE NewsA young woman is in critical condition with swine flu in Wellington Hospital in what is the first case of a previously healthy patient with no underlying medical conditions becoming critical.
However, health officials say as far as they are concerned nothing has changed with New Zealand's swine flu situation since three people died last week.
Two men and a young girl confirmed as having the virus died, and the Chief Coroner believes swine flu was a major contributing factor in at least two of the deaths.
Canterbury's Medical Officer of Health Ramon Pink says the deaths were not entirely unexpected.
He says it is no cause for alarm because in most cases, swine flu is still very mild.
Pink says it is hard to say exactly how many more people will die from swine flu-related illness.
Director of Public Health Dr Mark Jacobs says the situation is not really any different than it was last week, before the deaths were confirmed.
He says it is an infection which is spreading quickly in some parts of the country, but not others.
Jacobs says an increase in the number of calls to Healthline shows good community awareness of swine flu.
He says the volume of calls to Healthline went up 40% after the deaths were announced on Saturday.
He says there will be times when people who ring Healthline will have to wait for their call to be answered, but he's urging them to patient.
Jacobs says there's no reason to be more concerned now than before the three deaths.
Focus on respiratory illness
Parents with children who have respiratory illnesses are being told to do what they can to protect them from swine and other types of flu.
An eight year old girl with swine flu who died in Wellington Hospital over the weekend is thought to have also suffered from Cerebral Palsy.
Paediatric Society chairman Johan Morreau says children with underlying conditions are as much in danger from swine flu as from seasonal influenza, and parents should be concerned.
He says it's going to be difficult for people to avoid exposing their children.
Morreau says he's not overly worried by the impact of swine flu on children at the moment, but he will be if the virus mutates.
Meanwhile health officials in Christchurch admit they over-planned for swine flu, just to be safe.
Pink says they over-planned because they had been expecting an aggressive strain like bird flu.
If anyone has any concerns they can contract the swine flu hotline on 0800 611-116.
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