resulting in the death of ten people in the United Kingdom

Just when we thought that the H1N1 Swine flu virus had disappeared for good it has reared its head over the last six weeks resulting in the death of ten people in the United Kingdom! The UK Health Protection Agency has confirmed that the swine flu virus is alive and well and warned that it is spreading fast.

While it is true that some of the people who died from the swine flu virus over the last six weeks had existing underlying health problems which are likely to have contributed to their death, some of them were perfectly healthy which highlights the fact that this virus is extremely dangerous. In fact this influenza virus is more dangerous to young people then to elderly people which is the opposite of most influenza virus strains.

Professor John Watson, the Head of Respiratory Diseases at the Health Protection Agency expressed concern that the swine flu virus was spreading faster than he expected it to.  In the last swine flu pandemic almost 500 people died in the UK and the World Health Organization declared the situation a global pandemic.

The swine flu virus is particularly deadly to individuals who have unhealthy lifestyles, who smoke, who suffer from obesity or who have weak immune systems and these people should be extremely vigilant and careful over the winter months ahead. A good piece of advice would be to talk to your doctor about getting a flu jab or to stock up on the influenza antivirals Tamiflu and Relenza.

In the majority of cases influenza is a disease that the body can cope with but you should never be complacent and you should always take precautions.  Washing your hands regularly, staying away from infected persons and boosting your immune system with healthy eating, vitamin C and quitting smoking will all significantly reduce the chances of you getting the swine flu virus or any of the other influenza viruses out there.