Health Ministry cautious over flu results

Flu sufferer numbers visiting GPs are levelling off - but the Ministry of Health warns it's too early to draw conclusions. Photo / Greg Bowker

The number of people checking in with their GP in relation to flu symptoms may be levelling off, the Ministry of Health says after recent monitoring.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said while that appeared to be the case, there were still high rates of flu in New Zealand and 22 people were listed as being in intensive care.

"It is far too soon to draw any conclusions around whether we have reached the peak or if this slowing reflects less social contact because of the school holidays," Mr Ryall said.

He said there were indications here and in Australia that the rate of school age children presenting with flu symptoms slowed during the holidays, and said that could change now that schools were open again.

"There was also a slowing in hospital admissions last week, but again, more time is needed to draw any conclusions."

Meanwhile, the number of New Zealand deaths with swine flu (H1N1) listed as the primary cause has edged up to 13, latest figures from the ministry show.

The figure is up from 12 yesterday, with the latest death involving a woman in her 30s in Wellington.

The number of confirmed swine flu cases was now 2704, compared to 2662 yesterday.

The Coroner's office today put the number of deaths involving swine flu at 16 - up from 14 yesterday.

Figures differed from the Health Ministry as the latter's figures related to those where swine flu had been considered the primary cause of death.

Chief Coroner Neil MacLean said today figures from his office simply represented cases where the deceased had returned positive swine flu results.

"It does not necessarily mean that the death was due to H1N1."

Judge MacLean said there had so far been no final post mortem examination results received with comment on the linkage between the H1N1 virus and death.

He said some provisional post mortem results, usually available a day or so after an autopsy, had suggested a likely link, but full and final results took weeks or months and until then, no definitive conclusions could be reached.

- NZPA