AT LEAST nine people – including five schoolchildren – are believed to have contracted swine flu in Lancaster this week.
And with the illness now being diagnosed over the telephone instead of by swab, one Lancaster doctor said he feared we will never know the true extent of the virus.
Three pupils at Our Lady's Catholic College – and it's believed two at Central Lan
caster High School – were this week recovering at home from the virus.
Both schools are operating as normal.
Meanwhile, Bleasdale House Special School in Silverdale was closed for a week after two teachers showed swine flu symptoms.
The school was shut on July 6 but reopened on Tuesday and was expected to remain open until the end of term on July 21.
Head Anita Tidswell said: "Due to the special nature of our school, we decided to close temporarily as a precautionary measure.
"The health of our children must always come first and we are grateful to our parents and carers for their understanding and support."
Two Lancaster City Council employees are also recovering after coming down with suspected swine flu.
The latest news brings the total number of likely cases in the district to least 13.
Four have been treated at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
However, North Lancashire PCT has said it will not release details about the number of anti-viral drugs prescribed in the district, in a bid to prevent scaremongering.
The drugs are being given to anyone suspected of having swine flu, as well as confirmed cases, and this would distort the figures, a spokesman said.
Dr Frank Atherton, director of public health for NHS North Lancashire, said: "Without testing everyone, we would not know how many H1N1v (swine flu] cases there are among other influenza-like-illnesses. It is therefore not possible to state exact numbers of people with H1N1v."
Dr Robin Jackson, vice-chairman of the Coastal Medical Committee, said: "We will never know how many people have the virus, because proving that someone has got it is very difficult.
"The difficulty is understanding people's concerns but not making a drama out of it.
"We need to keep it in perspective because despite what's being reported nationally it's still a relatively mild illness."
Dr Jackson said the virus had possibly not yet reached its peak.
"School holidays could help to diminish contact between people but there are suggestions of a second peak in the autumn," he said.
Anyone who thinks they may have swine flu should stay at home. They can check their symptoms on the online symptom checker on www.nhs.uk and contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or phone their GP for advice.
