THE SECOND person to die from swine flu in the State did not have any apparent underlying condition and was not in any at-risk group.
The man, understood to be in his 50s, died at a Dublin hospital late on Monday. A postmortem was anticipated, but it is believed it was later decided this was unnecessary.
The Health Service Executive said it was not releasing any details in relation to the man’s death at the request of his family.
It is understood the man had been in hospital for a number of days, and was one of those who had been in intensive care when figures were released by the Department of Health last week for the numbers who had been hospitalised to date in relation to the pandemic H1N1 flu.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, head of health protection with the HSE, said it was an unfortunate part of the disease that some deaths would occur in both people who had underlying health conditions and people who had no pre-existing conditions.
He stressed that in the vast majority of people swine flu was a mild disease, and over 90 per cent would recover at home. About 1,400 people a week are now presenting to GPs with flu symptoms.
A small number of cases have had to be hospitalised. At the end of last week about 50 people had been hospitalised since the beginning of the pandemic.
"Unfortunately, both as we now know here in Ireland but also from elsewhere in the world, for a few people . . . medicine can't help them and they die," Dr Kelleher told RTÉ's News at One.
He said the majority of those in the UK and US who had died from swine flu had pre-existing health problems, but about 25 to 30 per cent had no obvious underlying condition at the time of death.
Sympathising with the victim’s family, he said this second swine flu death here was “a very sad event”.
The first death from swine flu in Ireland occurred at Tallaght hospital on August 7th. The first victim, 18-year-old Darina Calpin from Sligo, had an underlying condition, namely cystic fibrosis.
The HSE, meanwhile, has reiterated that the pandemic should not stop schools reopening in two weeks’ time. However, an online survey of 400 parents by the schooldays.ie website has found some parents are concerned about sending their children back to school when close contact with other children may make conditions ripe for the spread of the virus.
Some 8 per cent of parents surveyed indicated that while they would send their children to school, they would withhold a child with an underlying medical problem. And 7 per cent indicated they did not intend to send their children to school at all in September due to their concerns about the spread of swine flu.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) will today meet officials from school management bodies and the Department of Education to discuss the threat posed by swine flu. The union said it expected all primary schools to open as planned next month, but wanted updated, detailed advice for teachers before that.
John Carr, INTO general secretary, said the union wanted practical advice in relation to children and teachers with underlying health conditions, as well as specific guidance for teachers who are pregnant.
Those who are pregnant are in a higher risk group.
The union will also be raising the issue of offering vaccinations to teachers as frontline staff if and when they become available.
The HSE plans to give them to healthcare workers and those in at-risk groups first.
Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organisation Margaret Chan has said the world must remain on its guard against swine flu which could become more serious as the northern hemisphere heads into winter.