Swine flu deaths rise to 12 in Scotland

The Scottish government said both men, a 42-year-old from Glasgow and a 75-year-old from Grampian, had underlying health conditions.

The families of the men have requested that no further details about them be released.

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.”

Ms Sturgeon reminded the public that anyone who thinks they may have swine flu should get the help they need as quickly as possible - especially if they are in ‘at risk’ groups.

She also reassured that, in the vast majority of cases, most people have fairly mild symptoms and make a full recovery within a week.

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

Thirty-six people with swine flu 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 about 6,800 people caught the H1N1 virus last week, down from almost 13,800 the previous week.

Have your say

You must sign in to make a comment.