Hawke's Bay swine flu sufferer still critical

A woman admitted to Hawke's Bay Hospital with swine flu a week ago remains in critical condition, while the condition of a Wellington woman has been downgraded from life-threatening to serious.

A Hawke's Bay District Health Board spokeswoman Anna Kirk refused to say if the woman, in her early 20s, had any underlying medical conditions.

The woman is one of two in the country admitted to intensive care after contracting swine flu, the other a morbidly-obese, 30-year-old woman in Wellington.

Capital and Coast District Health Board spokesman Michael Tull told NZPA the Wellington woman was today removed from the critical list and was now in a serious but stable condition.

"While the flu is no longer active, obviously the effects of it are and that, in combination with her pre-existing chronic condition, means that she's still serious."

The Ministry of Health have said most people who contracted swine flu would be able to recover at home, although some people with other health conditions could become critically unwell.

People who were more at risk included pregnant women, people with respiratory disease, heart disease, liver disease or blood disorders.

As of yesterday, the total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand was 711.

Wellington appeared to have been worst hit by the virus, with the hospital confirming 15 cases a day.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had last night recorded 70,893 cases in 190 countries, along with 311 deaths.

- NZPA