A man who died from complications associated with the swine flu virus would have been more likely to survive if he had been hospitalised, a coroner's inquest has heard.
Hawera man Michael Arthur Thompson was found dead in his home on the morning of June 24, 2011. A post-mortem examination determined the 41-year-old had died from pneumonia and carried the H1N1 strain.
He had visited a GP twice -- the second time about 14 hours prior to his death. On this occasion, he was diagnosed with a bacterial chest infection by Dr Yassir Alaaraji and prescribed amoxicillin.
Dr Alaaraji gave evidence to Mr Thompson's inquest in Palmerston North via video link from Canada this morning.
He stated Mr Thompson had not presented with symptoms in line with the H1N1 virus. Instead, he suspected a lower respiratory tract infection made worse by stress.