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Swine flu: are you worried?

Swine flu has landed in the UK, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is issuing alerts and the news machine is in overdrive. But what's the real story, and are we over-reacting?

The bad news

Swine flu is a respiratory disease thought to spread through coughing and sneezing. The UN has warned that the virus cannot be contained and it has travelled as far afield as New Zealand and Israel, the US, Canada, Spain and Britain.

The UK Government already has a stockpile of drugs ordered as a precaution should the outbreak become a pandemic.

The good news

The key thing to note is that there have been no deaths reported outside of Mexico. Most cases so far reported around the world appear to be mild.

The couple who brought the virus to the UK are said not to be in a serious condition.

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said, 'I don't think people in this country need to be worried at the moment, the focus needs to be on people coming in from Mexico and other areas where this infection has taken hold.'

For an overview of the situation visit Kalimocho.co.uk

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