Bedbugs and consultants are bleeding us dry
UK nurse diagnosed with swine flu
A hospital nurse in Scotland who treated a swine flu patient has been diagnosed with the virus.
The 26-year-old nurse is the first healthcare professional to catch swine flu in the UK.
The new case brings the number of confirmed Scottish cases to 88. The current total number of confirmed UK cases is 404, according to the Health Protection Agency.
The nurse, who works at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, had treated a 38-year-old woman who is now in intensive care with the virus in Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital.
The news comes as a fourth person, a 23-year-old woman from Paisley, was admitted to intensive care with the virus in Scotland.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said in light of the new case procedures for hospital staff are being reinforced.
Ms Sturgeon said: ‘As a result of developments over the past few days or so, we are now asking hospital staff to treat all patients with pneumonia or any other conditions that might be suggestive of this virus, to presume that they are positive until we know otherwise.’
Staff are being told to wear face masks when around all patients in this category until they test negative and ‘where appropriate’ staff may be asked to stay at home and treated with Tamiflu.
It was also reported yesterday that the first case of swine flu in Saudi Arabia was diagnosed in a Filipino nurse.
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Readers' comments (1)
chehadi nuheili | 6-Jun-2009 8:10 am
Please dear nurses wear masks, gowns,gloves when you are working patients, and do hand washing not hesitated by this procedure.
Take care, to take take for others.
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