Students warned to be vigilant on swine flu

The Ministry of Health today warned students living in university hostels and boarding school accommodation to be careful to limit the spread of influenza.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said swine flu was more likely to infect children and young people, and students needed to be vigilant to reduce their chance of getting the virus and passing it on to others.

Good personal hygiene, including washing and drying hands frequently and covering coughs and sneezes, was the most effective way of limiting the spread of swine flu, she said.

Sick students should stay away from classes and keep their distance from other people.

Dr McGrath said schools which reopened this week for a new term were bracing themselves for an increase in sickness among students following the holiday period.

Victoria University in Wellington had 40 suspected cases of swine flu in its halls of residence between June 1 and July 20, with 16 students testing positive for the virus.

More than 2700 students lived in the university's nine student hostels and the university had set up a pandemic management committee to monitor the situation, student services director Ruth Moorhouse said.

There were 2477 confirmed swine flu cases around the country, up from 2443 yesterday.

The Ministry of Health said the actual number of cases would be significantly higher, as only a small proportion of people with symptoms were being tested.

Eleven people had died from the virus or its complications, Dr McGrath said.

At midday yesterday, 74 people were in hospital with swine flu or its complications and 26 of them were in intensive care.

The highest weekly influenza consultation rates were reported from South Auckland, Wellington and South Canterbury health districts.

- NZPA