Swine flu deaths

"Father-of-three Michael Day, 64, a GP of Dunstable, Beds, who died on Saturday, was the first health professional to die after contracting the virus. However, a post-mortem showed he died of natural causes, with a blood clot on a lung. He also suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure, and had contracted viral pneumonia. The deaths have pushed the swine flu death toll in Britain to 17."

"Dr Simon Tanner, London's regional director of public health, said it was impossible "to say to what degree swine flu contributed to her death".

THE devastated parents of six-year-old Chloe Buckley who died after contracting swine flu spoke yesterday of their distress at losing their “fun-loving baby girl”.

Grieving dad Michael and his wife Jacinta, both 37, said: “Nothing can replace her in our lives.”

Chloe died last Thursday less than 48 hours after she complained to her mother that she had a sore throat and one day short of her seventh birthday.

The death sparked panic among parents of fellow pupils at St Catherine’s School in West Drayton, West London, where Chloe lived.

Staff and council officials attempted to reassure them at a school meeting on Monday night.

But Daphne May, 62, the grandmother of one of Chloe’s friends, said there was an air of panic at the meeting.

She added: “People are very worried and upset. We should have been told something sooner.

A spokesman said: “This is a little girl who, until a few days ago, in all our minds was perfectly healthy so everybody here is in a deep state of shock.” Her parents pleaded in a statement for the family, including their other children Shane, 12, and Dillon, 10, to be allowed to grieve in private without further intrusion.

They added: “We are satisfied the medical care Chloe received at all times was appropriate and are disappointed with the stories that have been printed that suggest otherwise. We have nothing further to say.”

Reports had suggested Chloe was misdiagnosed with tonsillitis.

A post-mortem is being carried out to establish the exact cause of Chloe’s death, but it is known she did have the H1N1 virus.

Father-of-three Michael Day, 64, a GP of Dunstable, Beds, who died on Saturday, was the first health professional to die after contracting the virus.

However, a post-mortem showed he died of natural causes, with a blood clot on a lung. He also suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure, and had contracted viral pneumonia.

By Nick Britten Nick Allen and Jon Swaine
Published: 10:47PM BST 21 Jul 2009

The death of Chloe, six, from West Drayton, west London, alarmed parents.

Dr Simon Tanner, London’s regional director of public health, said it was impossible “to say to what degree swine flu contributed to her death”.

Andrew McCombe, a leading surgeon, said it was rare for a child to die from septic shock after contracting tonsillitis. “Normally septic shock affects old people,” he said.

“It is possible that the flu weakened her immune system.” The number of fatalities in Britain rose to 31 on Tuesday when it emerged that a 15-year-old girl and a 51-year-old woman had died after contracting swine flu.

The Scottish Government said the teenager had underlying medical conditions. Tests are being carried out on the woman, from Lea, Wilts. She caught the virus a week ago .

A post mortem examination found that swine flu was a significant factor in the death on July 11 of the Bedfordshire GP, Michael Day, 64.

Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, said swine flu “almost certainly” posed the biggest challenge to the NHS for a generation.

'Swine flu victim' Chloe Buckley, 6, died from septic shock following tonsillitis

Chloe Buckley, the girl thought to have been the first healthy young victim of swine flu, died from septic shock after a bout of tonsillitis, a post mortem examination indicated.