Be prepared for second wave of swine flu (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Surrey NHS: Be prepared for second wave of swine flu

10:22am Tuesday 20th October 2009 in News

Surrey NHS says there has been a steady rise in the number of people in the county contacting the national pandemic flu service and it is calling on people to prepare for the second wave of swine flu.

The message comes as part of a Prepare Now, Know Later campaign, led by Surrey’s Local Resilience Forum, which is encouraging people to prepare for emergencies now.

With signs a second wave of swine flu may be on its way, NHS Surrey is reminding people about the steps they can take now to look after themselves and their families.

Helen Atkinson, associate director of public health at NHS Surrey, said: “Although we are still seeing relatively small numbers of people with flu-like symptoms, we have seen a slight increase in the number of Surrey residents contacting the national pandemic flu service and this is consistent with what is happening across the country.

“For the majority of people swine flu is still a relatively mild illness, no worse than seasonal flu. However, we do know there are groups that are slightly more at risk.

“Flu is easy to pass on so if you have flu-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, high temperature, diarrhoea or vomiting, it is really important you stay at home. For most people it is a relatively mild illness that can be treated using over-the-counter remedies.

“If you have flu-like symptoms please don’t go to your GP practice, pharmacy, walk-in centre or A&E, unless it is a real emergency, as you could put others at risk.

“However, anyone with flu symptoms who has a serious underlying illness, is pregnant or has a sick child under one year old should call their GP straight away.

"If a person’s condition suddenly gets much worse or is still getting worse after seven days (or five days for a child) they should also contact their GP.”

• See our swine flu section for the latest updates