Post mortem on Norfolk's first possible swine flu victim

Swine Flu

DAVID BALE
31 July 2009 11:00



Investigations are continuing to find out whether a 36-year-old father-of-one died from swine flu.

A post -mortem examination has been carried out into the death of Norfolk businessman Jonathan Medler, who died suddenly on Tuesday, aged 36.

Mr Medler, who had been prescribed Tamiflu, had recently returned from a short holiday at the villa in Spain he shared with his wife.

He had felt unwell since then, and had told his sister, Sarah Alston, he thought that he had swine flu.

He collapsed at his home in Aylsham and efforts made to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

A spokeswoman for the NHS East of England, the region's strategic health authority, said a post-mortem examination had been carried out, but the results had not yet been released.

Mr Medler, who was the haulage manager of MA and HV Medler, of Allison Street, Marsham, near Aylsham, built up the family haulage business into a major specialist haulier in just a few years.

His mother, Margaret, and his older sister, Sarah Alston, had also been heavily involved in the expansion of the business.

Mrs Alston and her farmer husband Andrew live about 20 yards across the lane from the office of the haulage company, and recently holidayed in Mexico for a fortnight.

Mr Medler, who was married about five years ago and has a three-year-old son with his wife, was the youngest of three children and his older brother Andrew runs the family farming business.

If it is proved Mr Medler's death was from swine flu - and he did not have a pre-existing illness - it would make him one of the few people who have died from it outside the “high risk” category, which is people under five and over 65, pregnant women and those who already have had lung, heart or serious underlying medical conditions.

The announcement came as health bosses in Norfolk confirmed that more than 5,300 doses of antiviral drugs had been given out so far in July, out of a supply of about 90,000.

Officials have reiterated that in most people the virus is “fairly mild” with many recovering from symptoms within a few days.

Access to Tamiflu increased last Thursday when a new 24-hour antiviral collection point was established in Norwich, in addition to about 30 community pharmacists who already supply the drug.

Nationally, it has been revealed that pregnant women are four times more likely than the general population to be admitted to hospital if they contract swine flu.

Meanwhile, in the East of England it has been confirmed that 60 people are in hospital and two in a critical condition with 43,000 doses of Tamiflu dished out.

The Health Protection Agency's weekly update which includes GP consultation rates yesterday showed a plateau or small decrease over the last week in England.

This coincides with the start of school holidays and the introduction of the National Pandemic Flu Service.

The update revealed that overall across the UK the indications are that the number of cases are no longer rising rapidly, and may have reached a plateau.

The HPA said that producing reliable estimates at present was very challenging with the move from GP consultations to the National Pandemic Flu Service and issues such as the start of the school holidays.

On an equivalent basis to previous weeks, HPA estimates that there were 110,000 new cases in England last week (range 60,000 - 160,000).

There has been a decrease in the estimated number of cases in 5-14 year olds whilst estimated cases have continued to increase in other age-groups and in the North.

There have been a total of 26 confirmed deaths in England linked to swine flu. Children under 15 accounted for a third of deaths, while around one in seven victims was previously in good health.

At the last count, 840 flu patients were being treated in hospital in England, with 63 in intensive care.

More than 700 people worldwide are known to have died after getting swine flu which the World Health Organisation says is spreading faster than any previous flu pandemic.

The National Pandemic Flu Service line is 0800 1 513 100 and the website is www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu.

The website service is available 24 hours a day, while the telephone line is open from 8am to midnight, seven days a week.

Anyone who does not have symptoms and purely wants information on swine flu should continue to call the Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513. This is remaining in place alongside the new service.

Have you been affected by swine flu? Ring reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk.

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