But British public told not to panic
The British public was told not to panic about swine flu after senior medical officials said they were planning for 65,000 deaths from the disease, reported Bloomberg.
The forecasted death toll, announced by chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, is a worst case scenario used by the health service for planning. Swine flu has claimed 29 lives so far in the UK.
Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, told BBC journalists, that for most people the disease would be mild. About 6,000 people die on average from seasonal flu each year.
“The 65,000 figure is based on a mortality rate of 0.35%.
The 65,000 figure is based on a mortality rate of 0.35%. According to a UK government briefing paper the 0.35% death rate, though unlikely, cannot be ruled out based on UK data.
In the flu pandemic of 1957-8, about 33,000 people died, giving a mortality rate of 0.25 percent. In 1968-70, deaths numbered 30,000, or 0.2 percent, reported Bloomberg.
