Teenage boy dies from swine flu

A TEENAGE boy from Oldham has become the latest swine flu victim to die.

He is among four more fatal victims from Greater Manchester as the region bears the brunt of the virus.

They included a man from Trafford and a patient from Tameside General Hospital, while it’s also believed to have contributed to the death of a young child in Bury.

There have now been 12 deaths from H1N1 and Influenza B in Greater Manchester out of 39 nationally.

There are fears that the fast increasing outbreak could become an epidemic when children return to schools and nurseries this week and many employers return to work after the festive break — giving it more opportunity to spread.

The 39 deaths since October include 11 under-15s, with swine flu more likely to affect younger people than the elderly. The virus has put pressure on the NHS with 738 patients across the country now in intensive care with suspected flu.

There are 27 people with serious complications caused by flu in intensive care or high dependency wards in hospitals in Greater Manchester. Intensive care beds have been full at some hospitals at various times.

An NHS Oldham spokeswoman said: “It is with regret that we confirm a third person from Oldham has died at the Royal Oldham Hospital, with swine flu as part of the cause of death. The teenage boy had serious underlying illnesses.”

Swine flu had already claimed the lives of two men at the Royal Oldham in December, who also had serious underlying illnesses.