Dr. Niman: Is D225G in severe swine flu?

Swine flu ICU cases in UK double in one week

In the U.K., the number of flu patients in intensive care has doubled in a week to 190, according to the Daily Mail.

The 17 most seriously-ill patients are on highly-specialized heart-lung machines known as ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) units – three times the usual number. Even at the height of the swine flu pandemic last year only 12 of these machines were ever in use at the same time.

Bob Winter, of the Intensive Care Society, said: 'It seems to be behaving differently from last year. The ones that are getting it seem to be getting it more seriously. Last year most people got mildly ill. This year we have lots of people in intensive care when it doesn't seem to be that high in the community.'

The newspaper says it's feared that the swine flu strain may have grown more virulent over the past 12 months. UK hospital managers have been holding emergency meetings to draw up plans to tackle a further onslaught of cases.

Take this seriously. Remember, we're still early in the flu season in the Northern hemisphere.