Woman dies from swine flu at Infirmary

Rochdale Infirmary

A woman has died from swine flu at the Rochdale Infirmary.

The patient, understood to have underlying health problems, was from Bury.

The woman is the second person to die from the flu virus at the Infirmary.

NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale were unable to comment because the patient was not a Rochdale resident.

A spokesperson for NHS Bury, said: “Most people who contract flu will start to feel better after a few days without needing to go to their GP practice or A&E. It is important to stay at home, to reduce the chance of spreading the virus to other people. Avoid visiting friends and relatives who may be at risk. Patients who think they need help or advice, should telephone their GP practice or local pharmacist. If a patients condition suddenly deteriorates or is still getting worse after three or four days, they should telephone their GP practice.

“There are simple measures that people can take to protect themselves from the flu, including regular and thorough hand-washing. It’s important to cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing and to turn away from other people in the vicinity. Paper tissues should be used to cover the nose and mouth and these should be disposed of in a bin immediately after use. It’s important to wash the hands again after disposing of used tissues.”