New Swine Flu Cases Double in England

Brits set up service to provide drugs without doctor visit
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 23, 2009 11:56 AM CDT
New Swine Flu Cases Double in England
This April 29, 2009, file photo shows stocks of antiviral treatment Tamiflu at a warehouse in an undisclosed location in the United Kingdom.   (AP Photo)

New swine flu cases have doubled in the past week in England, to 100,000, as the country sets up a National Flu Service to handle the outbreak, the BBC reports. The service will allow flu sufferers to get medication via the phone or Internet without having to consult a doctor; it’s the first system of its kind in England.

The death toll, at 26, hasn’t changed since last week. Two-thirds of deaths for which full data are available were among people who had other conditions, like cancer, officials said. “There is no evidence to suggest it is becoming more virulent. Most people with no underlying conditions will get over the flu perfectly well,” said the country’s chief medical officer. (More flu stories.)

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