Influenza

[idun]

Said on french news last week that 18000 had died during winter 2014/2015 of flu.

I don't know of one person who had flu in the UK last winter. There was a horrible never ending miserble cold that went on for weeks and weeks, even people who are not usually ill caught it, but it wasn't flu.

Anyone any idea where the stats are for the UK, I have looked, unsuccessfully. I was wondering if there had been a UK epidemic and where.

[pomme]

You cold try this.

Wednesday February 4 2015

You should check to see if you need the winter flu jab

The flu can be dangerous for vulnerable people. "The current death rate in England and Wales is running about one-third higher than its normal rate for this time of year," BBC News reports. A combination of flu and very cold weather may be responsible.

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/02february/pages/flu-and-freezing-weather-may-be-driving-up-winter-death-rates.aspx

or Public Health England

Surveillance of influenza and other respiratory viruses in the United Kingdom: winter 2014 to 2015

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429617/Annualreport_March2015_ver4.pdf

[idun]

Thanks, it says a third more deaths, but honestly we have not had a cold winter, not compared to January+ 2010 and Novemember+ 2010. And it doesn't give the cause, where as french news did, specifically, flu.

And I do have my doubts about the veracity of that franch figure, but IF they start with the premis that someone who is unwell gets flu, then it is the flu that ended their life.

Also, I didn't think that the french put the reason for a death on the death certificate??

[lindal1000]

Most types of flu mainly kill those whose systems are already compromised . In UK on the death certificate influenza would be listed as the primary cause of death and other problems would be listed as secondary causes. The exceptions are the bird flu type viruses that mainly kill healthy young people.

[Hereford]

You are right Idun - the French do not put a cause of death on the "bulletin de déces".  I have always wondered how they can say there were such and such numbers of deaths from, say, smoking each year; or in this case flu!

[idun]

May the reason for death is reported separately???? I do not know and I wonder why it is not on the death certificate, the french after all are fond of having 'all' other details reported.

[Hereford]

Don't think it can be reported separately Idun. My mother died recently (expected and a blessing for her) -a local doctor (not her own) was called to the Maison de R. and he apparently confirmed she was dead(!), gave the nurse the certificate to say so and went. He did not examine her, and her own doctor was not involved at all.

Mrs H.