Express & Star

Third Wolverhampton swine flu death

An 86-year-old woman has died from swine flu at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital - the third victim of the virus in the city since December.

Published

An 86-year-old woman has died from swine flu at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital - the third victim of the virus in the city since December.

The hospital confirmed the pensioner died yesterday morning after losing her battle with the virus in the critical care unit.

Although the death has been attributed to swine flu the hospital said the woman was suffering from an underlying respiratory disease.

It has also been confirmed that a man in his 50s who died at Stafford Hospital on Monday was suffering from the virus.

A woman in her 70s died at New Cross on December 27 and a man aged 52, died on December 30. Both had underlying medical problems.

The hospital currently has three other people being treated in intensive care who have been confirmed as suffering with the flu and there are five suspected cases at the hospital.

Two staff at the trust have been ordered to stay at home after showing flu-like symptoms. The deaths come as the number of people suffering from flu is on the rise across the Midlands.

Over the past week 59 patients have been treated in intensive care with confirmed or suspected flu at hospitals across the Midlands. There have been 112 deaths connected to flu this winter with the majority linked to the H1N1 swine flu virus.

  • Trish Keenan, lead singer of band Broadcast, which formed in Birmingham, died yesterday from pneumonia after becoming ill with the swine flu virus while touring in Australia. It is believed Ms Keenan picked up the H1N1 virus while on a tour of the country and had been on a life support machine since Christmas.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.