UK: Swine flu winter: 200 fight for life

Number of patients doubles in a week to put strain on intensive care units
By Sophie Borland
21st December 2010

Nearly 200 swine flu victims were fighting for their lives last night.

The number of patients in intensive care has doubled in a week and many of them are either elderly or pregnant. 14 have so far died.

Seventeen of the 190 are being kept alive by highly-specialised heart and lung machines – three times the usual number. the rest