Two men die from swine flu

Published on Sunday 11 October 2009 14:29

Two men suffering from swine flu have died, the Scottish Government said today.

Both patients, a 42-year-old man from Glasgow and a 75-year-old man from Grampian, had underlying health conditions.

It brings the total number of deaths linked to the H1N1 bug in Scotland to 12 since the start of the outbreak.

The government said that no further details about the two patients will be released at the request of their families.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "I'd like to express my sincere condolences to the friends and family of both patients at this very sad time.

"In the vast majority of cases, most people have fairly mild symptoms and make a full recovery within a week. But it is important that you get the help you need as quickly as possible if you are at greater risk."

The deaths come after figures released on Thursday revealed that the number of people admitted to hospital in Scotland with swine flu has reached a record high.

Thirty-six people with the bug were admitted to hospital last week – the largest weekly intake since the outbreak began.

The figure takes the number of people hospitalised in Scotland since the start of the outbreak to 208.

Estimates suggest that around 6,800 people caught the H1N1 virus last week, down from almost 13,800 the previous week.