Czech Republic sees 15th case of swine flu

So far the number of swine flu cases in central Europe has been fairly low, only in the dozens, far less than Spain, the UK, and far less, for example, than the US. But the number is rising and will likely continue to go up. On Thursday the number of cases in the Czech Republic jumped by a third, from 10 to 15, although officials have stressed there was no cause for panic. So far, the country has seen no related deaths and cases have been fairly mild, with patients allowed to recover at home instead of remaining in hospital. Such was the case of one couple in their twenties from Ostrava who recently returned from the US where they had been visiting relatives. Health official Josef Matuška described their condition on Thursday:

“Tests confirmed the presence of swine flu but the patients did not have the worst of symptoms and have been allowed to remain in quarantine at home. They have been given antibiotics and are now on their way to recovery. The symptoms are diminishing.”

According to the World Health Organisation, in Europe almost 10,000 people have now been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, four of whom have died. But the head of the World Health Organisation stressed on Thursday that the majority of cases worldwide had been mild, seeing recoveries within a week, many even without treatment. In all, WHO reports that more than 70,000 around the world have contracted the virus; 300 cases of swine flu did result in death.